Two people were killed and six others were injured Tuesday afternoon after a collision between an SUV and a Metro bus in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California.
The crash happened around 5 p.m. at the intersection of Nordhoff Street and De Soto Avenue in the Chatsworth area. A 2004 Ford Expedition was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of De Soto Avenue when it ran a red light at Nordhoff Street and collided with a Metro bus traveling eastbound on Nordhoff Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The impact ejected one passenger from the bus and partially ejected another. Debris from the collision also damaged a blue 2024 Honda CR-V that was stopped facing northbound on De Soto Avenue south of Nordhoff Street.
Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters responded to the scene, where eight total patients were treated, including two fatalities. L.A. Urban Search and Rescue crews performed heavy extrications on multiple people trapped inside the bus, as well as one victim pinned beneath the SUV.
Firefighters had to remove the side of the SUV to free the trapped victim. Crews also cut away parts of the bus and seats to free a passenger who was pinned inside.
“One was ejected from the bus during the impact,” LAFD Capt. Branden Silverman said during a Tuesday evening press briefing.
LAFD paramedics pronounced two adult passengers dead at the scene. Their names have not been released pending notification of next of kin.
One other passenger suffered severe injuries, while another sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Six people were transported to different hospitals for medical treatment.
The driver of the Ford Expedition was identified as Bailee Lynn Rios, 36, of Simi Valley. Rios was booked on suspicion of murder, with bail set at $4 million, and was transported to the Century Regional Detention Facility, according to her booking information.
The Mayor’s Crisis Response Team also responded to assist people affected by the crash. The case will be forwarded to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration, according to the LAPD.