A Kern County Transit bus carrying 30 passengers veered off the highway and overturned onto railroad tracks near West Avenue C in Lancaster late Wednesday morning, leaving at least 15 people hospitalized with injuries ranging from minor to life-threatening.
The crash occurred around 11:15 a.m. after an unknown object struck the windshield and hit the driver, causing him to lose consciousness. The driver suffered a serious injury described as potentially life-altering.
Among the injured were a mother and her two children, all of whom were airlifted to a local hospital. Several others were transported via ambulance.
Authorities have yet to confirm what the object was or how it was thrown, but they noted similarities to a separate incident just two days earlier, in which a vehicle’s windshield was shattered by a rock in the same area. No injuries were reported in that case.
The California Highway Patrol is continuing to investigate.
