Video: Dozens Injured When Bus Loses Control, Crashes in Traffic

Newly released dashcam footage shows the moment a charter bus lost control before crashing and injuring dozens of people in Southern California.

The footage, captured by another motorist, shows the bus careening into a center divider on the 405 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley.

In the clip, a white truck is seen trying to get in front of the bus, and a man who spoke to the bus driver told Fox News that the driver slammed on his brakes and tried to avoid crashing into a trailer.

“There was a theory circulating that this might be a road rage incident, we’re not going in that direction at this point, it’s too early,” California Highway Patrol Officer Leland Tang told Fox News. “We’re in the process of doing as we speak is we’re going through all the witnesses, interviewing witnesses, we also have a scheduled vehicle forensic analysis on the bus to make sure there were no steering issues, brake issues or any mechanical issues.”

Twenty-five people on board the bus were hospitalized, and five are in serious condition.

A bus crash in Los Angeles has left 40 people injured and shut down several freeway lanes, according to reports. (Fox)

Due to her injuries, authorities have been unable to interview the driver, who has not been named.

“She took the brunt of the impact when it came to that wall,” Tang told Fox. “It happened on a Sunday, so if we were to apply the same scenario to a Monday, same time Monday, we definitely would have had some fatalities.”

KABC reported that Tang said they are looking for the white truck driver as a person of interest in the crash. He said that officials have no evidence of road rage playing part in the crash.

He said that other witnesses are needed.

A bus crash in Los Angeles has left 40 people injured and shut down several freeway lanes, according to reports. (Fox)

“Witnesses are huge in this matter because we have all these vehicles that were involved. We need to put the sequence of events together and that’s where the public can really help us,” Tang told KABC.

Church Event

The private bus was carrying around 37 people who were coming from a church event at the Forum in Inglewood, said California Highway Patrol Officer Wescon Haver, KTLA reported.

“Three of those patients did not have serious visible injuries however based on the severity of the impact, protocol deems their condition requiring paramedic transport,” the Fire Department told the station.

Raymond Avila, who was stuck in traffic for three hours after the crash, said that he saw first responders coming back due to the traffic congestion.

“They could only fit one person at a time so they had to come back a bunch of times,” Avila told the outlet.