Man hospitalized after Metro bus crashes into Lake View Terrace light pole

A 73-year-old man was hospitalized after he was struck by a falling object when a Metro bus collided with a light pole in the Lake View Terrace area on Wednesday afternoon. 

The crash was reported at around 2:40 p.m. near the 12200 block of W. Van Nuys Boulevard, according to Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters. 

They said that the bus, which had no passengers, collided with a power pole for unknown reasons, which then caused the pole to topple over. 

The victim was taken to the hospital in fair condition after he was struck by something when the light pole and a tree fell, firefighters said. A second person was checked at the scene, but denied medical transport.

Upon request for a statement, a Metro spokesperson told CBS LA that the crash happened when an "eastbound Metro Bus Line 233 had a mechanical breakdown."

They said that the bus rolled into the intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and Gladstone Avenue and eventually struck the power pole and a tree. Ultimately, the bus came to a stop when it collided with a residential wall at the back of a property, the spokesperson said.

A Los Angeles Police Department officer told CBS LA that there does not appear to be anything criminal about the incident, but the Valley Traffic Division was still investigating the crash. 

Video from the scene shows a burst of light and sparking when the collision happened. 

Firefighters contacted the Department of Water and Power to assist with the pole involved in the incident. It's unclear if there was a power outage in the surrounding area.