LOS ANGELES, Sept. 19, 2008

Bus, Train Collide In L.A.

15 Injured After Light Rail Train Wreck Near Downtown

  • Aerial view of the train-bus collision south of downtown Los Angeles, Sept. 19, 2008. Photo

    Aerial view of the train-bus collision south of downtown Los Angeles, Sept. 19, 2008.  (CBS)

  • Photo Essay Collision Course

    Dozens killed after commuter and freight trains collide head-on in California.

(CBS/ AP)  An out-of-service bus driven by a mechanic turned abruptly into a light rail train near downtown during the morning rush Friday, injuring 15 people, reports CBS station KCBS-TV in Los Angeles.

There were between 230 and 250 passengers aboard the train, said Metro spokesman Jose Ubaldo, who described the 15 injuries as "minor."

The impact knocked the front car of the electric train off the track while on a run to Long Beach. The other cars remained on the track, which reopened about three hours after the crash.

"We had an out-of-service bus turn in front of the train," said Marc Littman, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates both the train and the bus. "We don't know who had the right of way."

The crash comes just a week after a Metrolink commuter train smashed into a freight train in the San Fernando Valley, about 30 miles northwest of downtown, killing 25 people and injuring more than 130.

The Metro Rail's Blue Line, which runs from downtown to Long Beach, started service in 1990 and is the oldest part of MTA's popular light rail system.

© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Add a Comment
by myopinion381 September 19, 2008 10:41 AM PDT
I sure wouldn''t want to be riding a train in California right now.
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by thevicar1 September 19, 2008 12:45 PM PDT
Those California trains sure do like to crash into things!
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by random_radar September 19, 2008 1:22 PM PDT
"We don''t know who had the right of way."

The train always wins.
Reply to this comment
by thevicar1 September 19, 2008 1:29 PM PDT
"We dont know who had the right of way." The train always wins ---------------------------------------------------------- Posted by random_radar


True, but the guy with the right-of-way sues first!
Reply to this comment
by xmanborg September 19, 2008 3:03 PM PDT
More Texting OMG
Reply to this comment
by random_radar September 19, 2008 8:26 PM PDT
This is what happens when we let trains drive on the street with cars and pedestrians. Overhead or underground, but not on the roadway.
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