Los Angeles City Bus, Car Collide, Sending 16 To Hospitals

Wednesday, May 23rd 2007, 7:07 am

By: News On 6

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ A city bus collided with a car at an intersection, then slammed into a parked tow truck and through a fence before coming to a rest against a building, authorities said. At least 16 people were injured, including two hospitalized early Wednesday in critical condition.

The accident happened shortly before midnight when one of the vehicles ran a red light in South Los Angeles, police Sgt. Clarence Perkins said. He said inconsistent witness accounts were making it difficult to determine which driver erred.

The car was totaled. The bus continued on in a chain reaction crash, hitting a traffic control box, the empty tow truck and a fence. That impact sent the tow truck crashing through a fence outside a McDonald's restaurant.

Ambulances took 16 people to hospitals, most with minor injuries. The car's driver and passenger were in critical condition, said Fire Department spokeswoman D'Lisa Davies.

It wasn't immediately known how many passengers were on the bus or the condition of the driver.