The tow truck that collided with a Metro bus, killing its driver, was going as fast as 60 miles per hour through a red light when the downtown L.A. crash happened, police said today.

The flatbed tow truck was headed south on Broadway when it struck the westbound bus at Fifth street before careening into the 7-Eleven at 457 S. Broadway, where a worker was slightly injured, authorities said:

According to the LAPD's view of the events, this is what happened shortly after 5 a.m. yesterday:

A tow truck driver traveling southbound on Broadway drove through the intersection against a red light and collided into an Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) bus with no passengers which was traveling westbound on 5th Street. The force of the impact caused the MTA bus to run off the roadway and collide with a fire hydrant.

… LAPD Central Traffic Division detectives' investigation revealed the tow truck was traveling at about 50 to 60 miles per hour when he ran the red light and collided with the MTA bus.

Metro ID'd the deceased bus driver as 47-year-old Olivia Gamboa of Montebello, a 13-year employee of the transportation authority.


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The tow-truck driver was hospitalized in “grave” condition, cops said.

Investigators are still looking for witnesses, so if you saw this crash or noticed the tow truck before the collision they want to hear from you: 213-972-1825.

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