Pedestrian Killed By Bus in Downtown L.A.

Pedestrian killed by bus in downtown L.A.

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer 7:32 AM PST, February 5, 2008

A Los Angeles city bus struck and killed a woman who was walking downtown this morning, fire officials said.The woman was crossing the street in the 400 block of Los Angeles Street near Arcadia Street about 5:30 a.m. when a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus that was turning struck her, said Los Angeles City Fire Department spokeswoman d'Lisa Davies.The woman was pinned under a front wheel of the bus, Davies said, and had to be pried out using tools and airbags. She died at the scene, Davies said.The woman's name had not been released this morning, Davies said. Los Angeles police, who are handling the investigation, did not have information this morning concerning the crash.

There is a traffic light at the intersection of Arcadia and Los Angeles streets, but Davies said it was not clear whether the woman was crossing at the light.Several other passengers were on the bus at the time of the crash, but none were injured, she said.Investigators with the Los Angeles Police, L.A. County Sheriff's Office, MTA and the Department of Transportation shut down Los Angeles Street near Arcadia as well as the nearby exit and entrance to the 101 Freeway this morning while they investigated the crash.