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Two people died when a minivan being pursued by police smashed into a bus in Los Angeles early Sunday morning.
LAPD officials confirmed at a press conference on Sunday that officers spotted one of the van’s occupants tossing a gun out of the vehicle near the intersection of Central Avenue and the 10 Freeway around 5 a.m. Sunday.
Officers began a pursuit, and after just one to two minutes, was terminated when the minivan struck the bus.
One of the passengers was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said, and another passenger was pronounced dead upon arrival at a nearby hospital.
Two other occupants — including the driver of the van — were transported to a local hospital with injuries that are said to be non-life-threatening, police said. All four passengers were men.
The bus was occupied by the bus driver and two passengers, authorities confirmed at Sunday’s press conference. None of them were injured.
The firearm thrown out of the minivan was recovered by police. Reports emerged of traffic being briefly shut down on the 10 Freeway near Main Street, but LAPD officials were unable to confirm the closure, adding that if the freeway was closed, it was for a matter of minutes.
“The driver of the vehicle and the passenger, who are still alive, they are going to be interviewed. That’s going to be a part of the investigation to determine why they had a gun in the first place and ultimately determine if they were involved also in any other crimes prior to the officers making contact with them,” LAPD Sgt. Hector Guzman said.
Alexis Lewis contributed to this report.
