A third teen was taken into custody late Monday after a crash that killed a pedestrian and injured at least 20 high school students aboard a school bus in Boyle Heights.
The crash occurred at 3:22 p.m. Monday at 2332 East 1st St., near Soto Street. A black BMW ran a red light at an intersection, hitting a pedestrian and then a bus that was returning from East LA Skills Center to Roosevelt High, police said. The bus driver lost control, causing the bus to flip on its side.
"Everybody from one side fell on top of each other," said Jacqueline Guax, a student on the bus. "My friend was on the bottom of all the students, and I had to pull her out. I was freaking out."
Several students said the BMW driver ran the red light.
"We were in a green light, it was our turn to go, and then the car just came and hit us. I was in the back of the bus and we just flipped," said Susanna Romero, another bus passenger.
The pedestrian was killed at the scene, and two people fled from the wrecked BMW but were captured by a construction worker who saw them running from the scene, said Police Chief Charlie Beck. Late Monday night Los Angeles police said those two had been arrested and that a third suspect was being "detained" at a local hospital.
"Immediately following that accident, the two parties in the black BMW fled on foot and were captured almost immediately by a local construction worker," Beck said. "They were held by the construction worker until the arrival of law enforcement entities and they're now in custody and face possible criminal charges for their involvement."
Eighteen Roosevelt High School students were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The bus driver was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but his condition was upgraded to serious by late Monday afternoon, said Los Angeles Fire Department Deputy Chief Mario Rueda.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
The other 25 students aboard the bus were taken to the nearby LAPD Hollenbeck station, where they were reunited with their parents and given the chance to speak with crisis counselors.
Arianna Rosas, 21, who works at a convenience store about a block from the crash scene, told City News Service she heard the collision and went outside and saw people running up the street away from the crash. She said a construction worker and another person chased them, caught them and held them until police arrived.
"As a parent, the one thing we expect is when our kids go to and from school is that they're safe," said Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa from the scene. "And I can tell you that for all of us, we breathe a sigh of relief in that there were no serious or fatal injuries with the children involved in this accident."
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Ramon C. Cortines came to offer support to the families, and took up the question of seatbelts on school buses, an on going debate.
"There is a study that shows that seatbelts on busses are not as safe because students can not get out if there is this kind of accident," said Cortines. "There is always the debate about, on school buses, whether there should be, or shouldn't be. What we've done is follow the Highway Patrol, and the California Safety Code."
