13-Year-Old Girl Riding Bike Killed in Redondo Beach

A 13-year-old girl riding a bicycle was killed Friday in Redondo Beach when she veered into an oncoming bus in what police said was a tragic accident.

The girl died before 6 p.m. in the area of Pacific Coast Highway and Knob Hill Avenue. She and a friend were riding when one veered into traffic and got clipped by a southbound Metro bus, police said.

"(She) entered into the number two lane. We're not sure if she was trying to cross the street or come off into the street a little bit and go back up onto the sidewalk, but unfortunately she was struck," said Lt. Shawn Freeman of Redondo Beach police.

County coroner's officials identified the girl as Ciara Smith. Classmates say she was student at Parras Middle School. They shared Snapchat videos of her spending time near the beach with her friends hours before the crash.

Her friend was not hurt.

The area was closed for a little more than five hours.

Freeman said there was nothing to suggest the bus driver had done anything criminal.

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