Orange Line crash injures several

SHERMAN OAKS - A mid-morning Orange Line crash Saturday sent five people to hospitals after a woman smacked into a Metroliner bus, authorities reported.

The westbound bus was crossing Sepulveda Boulevard at 9:47 a.m. when a 70-year-old woman driving a Lexus ES 300 smashed into its front, right side, according to reports from the Los Angeles Police Department and Metro. The force of the collision nearly severed her arm and broke her leg, then knocked around the bus driver and three passengers, inflicting minor injuries. Ambulances transported them all to local hospitals.

Investigators have not yet determined who was at fault, but Metro spokesman Dave Sotero reported that closed-circuit television cameras at the scene showed the woman sped through a red light before hitting the bus.

Bus service was delayed for two hours as crews investigated the scene and towed away the damaged Metroliner.