Pasadena Woman Killed in Bus Crash

A Pasadena woman was among three people killed in a bus crash on Saturday.

Julia Perez Cornejo, 73, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident on 15 South Freeway on Saturday after the bus she was riding on went down a steep embankment.

According to reports, the bus was headed up a steep road when the driver lost control and the bus veered to the right off the roadway around 10:25 a.m. Two other people were also killed, but only one — Maria De La Luz Diaz, 67 of Riverside — has been identified.

The bus driver cooperated with the CHP and intoxication is not believed to have been a factor in the crash.

According to the Times of San Diego, 18 other passengers — ranging in age from 5 to 75 — were taken to hospitals.

In total, there were 21 passengers on the charter bus traveling from El Monte to Tijuana.

Eleven passengers suffered major injuries, including a 5-year-old boy who was airlifted to a hospital where he received treatment for a severe head wound.

CHP Officer Mark Latulippe told the Times of San Diego few passengers were wearing seat belts and most of the injured passengers were either ejected or escaped from the bus.

The bus company’s records show no reports of crashes and that it passed all inspections over the past two years, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation website.