Turlock transit bus crashes into house after collision, leaving 1 dead

A person died and a Turlock Transit bus driver was seriously injured Thursday night in a crash that sent the bus into a house, police said.

Turlock police said the vehicle involved had left the scene of another crash just minutes earlier on Lander Avenue near Highway 99.

Officers were called to that first crash around 8:10 p.m. No one was hurt, but police said the driver left the scene.

Shortly afterward, the same vehicle collided with a Turlock Transit bus near High Street and West Avenue South, police said.

The vehicle's driver was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene. Firefighters had to extricate the bus driver, who was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

The impact sent the bus into a nearby house, which was unoccupied at the time. A fire hydrant and natural gas line were also damaged.

Turlock fire officials said the bus sheared off the home's natural gas meter, causing a leak. Crews secured the area and stopped the leak while PG&E was called to the scene.

It remains unclear what led to the second crash. Police said investigators do not yet know whether impairment played a role, and toxicology testing is pending.

The Turlock Police Department's Major Accident Investigation Team is handling the case. The name of the driver who died has not been released pending notification of family.