Police Say RTD Bus in Crash Ran Red Light,

An RTD bus that seriously injured a motorist at a Reseda intersection when it struck his car, knocking it over a curb into a brick planter and a signpost, had run a red light, police said Monday.

The driver of the bus, Lourds G. Celidonio, was not arrested at the accident scene Sunday, but a charge of failure to obey a traffic signal will probably be filed, said Officer Frank Zedroy of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Celidonio has been assigned duties other than driving, said Rick Jager, a Rapid Transit District spokesman. He said the driver could be fired if RTD investigators find that she was negligent.

Zedroy said four witnesses, all motorists who were approaching the intersection of Sherman Way and Corbin Avenue, claimed to have seen the bus run the red light.

Celidonio, 37, who had three years’ experience with the RTD and a clear traffic record, was unavailable for comment Monday.

The injured motorist, Fernando Mendoza of Canoga Park, was listed in stable condition with head and other injuries at Northridge Hospital Medical Center.

First Day on Route

Celidonio was alone on the bus when she hit Mendoza’s car about 5 p.m. It was her first day driving the express run between downtown and Canoga Park, said RTD spokesman Marc Littman. She was on the wrong street at the time, he said.

Celidonio sustained minor injuries.

According to police, the bus, traveling east on Sherman Way, broadsided Mendoza’s car, which was southbound on Corbin. Firemen extricated Mendoza by cutting through his car’s roof.

Officers at the scene saw no indication that the bus driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to their report.

An RTD investigation of the accident will take up to two weeks.