25 Hospitalized, 5 Critical, In Bus Crash On 405 Freeway In North Hills
NORTH HILLS (CBSLA) — A charter bus crash in the San Fernando Valley has left 25 people hospitalized, including 5 with critical injuries.
The crash unfolded Sunday afternoon on the 405 Freeway in the North Hills area near the Nordhoff Street exit.
All southbound lanes of the freeway have been closed since about 1 pm. There was no immediate word on when the lanes would reopen.
The northbound lanes were also shut down when the CHP landed their helicopter on the freeway. The northbound lanes were reopened as of 5:30 pm.
Just re-opened NB 405fwy at Nordhoff. SB still closed. Bus accident earlier. #CBSLA @CBSLA pic.twitter.com/cM7rYmNgaH
— Greg Mills (@GregMillsTVNews) October 15, 2018
The bus heading northbound crashed into a car and then went through the center divider and hit a couple more cars.
The CHP says 44 patients were evaluated on scene. The bus had 37 passengers on board at the time of the accident.
Paramedics took some of the patients to Holy Cross and others to Northridge Hospital for treatment.
The bus is run by Transit Services, a company based in New York. The CHP says it's a private charter bus for a church event coming from The Forum, one of many buses heading back from the church event in Inglewood. Many of the passengers belong to the church in Pacoima that they were returning to.
The CHP says the bus driver is a woman in her 40s. She was initially listed in critical condition. They also say some of the passengers on board the bus were children but they are not sure if any of them were badly injured.
No other buses from the church were involved in the accident.
The traffic backup was so intense the CHP had people turning around their cars and exiting off ramps behind them.