Crime & Safety

UPDATED: Dozens Injured In RTA Bus Crash On SR 74

The 40-foot long RTA bus was scheduled on Route 27, which travels between the cities of Riverside and Hemet.

A crash on SR-74 involving an RTA commuter bus and two other vehicles Thursday morning resulted in dozens of injuries, according to a Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman.

The collision was reported at 8:59 a.m. along the state route at Briggs Road in Menifee, spokeswoman Jody Hagemann reported.

“A total of 24 patients were triaged and [of those] a total of 21 were transported with injuries ranging from minor to moderate,” Hagemann reported.

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According to Brad Weaver, spokesman for Riverside Transit Agency, several bus passengers were among those transported to area hospitals with injuries. The male RTA bus driver also sustained injuries, but Weaver characterized them as minor.

The 40-foot long bus was scheduled on Route 27, which travels between the cities of Riverside and Hemet, Weaver said.

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The spokesman could not confirm what may have caused the crash, but he said the bus sustained “significant” damage and ended up on the wrong side of the road following the collision.

"It's rainy and wet out there," said Weaver, who was at the crash scene.

A tow truck and a Pontiac Bonneville were also involved in the wreck. 

A crash investigation is currently being conducted by the California Highway Patrol. According to CHP Officer Nathan Baer, the bus was traveling westbound at an "unknown speed" in the #2 lane on SR-74, east of Briggs, when it "traveled into the eastbound #1 lane [and] slid sideways." 

"The left side of the RTA bus hit a Pontiac Bonneville traveling in the opposite direction," Baer reported.

The 48-year-old female driver of the Bonneville "suffered major injuries" and was transported to Riverside County Regional Medical Center, Baer continued.  

"The cause of the collision is under investigation. The CHP is performing a mechanical inspection on the RTA bus," Baer reported.

As of 11 a.m. Thursday, SR-74 remained closed as part of the investigation. --Report was updated at 12:14 p.m. Dec. 19.


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