Driver dies after Mercedes hits curb, ricochets into city bus

A woman was fatally injured Wednesday when her vehicle struck a curb, ricocheted into traffic and crashed into a Santa Barbara city bus.

The accident at Cliff Drive and Rancheria Street was reported about 10:45 a.m., Santa Barbara police spokesman Anthony Wagner said. The Mercedes driver, a woman about 55 years old, was the only occupant of the vehicle and suffered “multiple and severe injuries,” Wagner said.

The vehicle appears to have “bounced off the bus,” with the driver side of the Mercedes hitting the passenger side of the bus, according to Wagner.

Witnesses told Noozhawk.com that paramedics performed CPR at the scene before the woman was taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital by ambulance.

She later died of her injuries, Wagner said. Her name was being withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The Metropolitan Transit District bus driver was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

There were 14 passengers on the bus at the time of the crash, but none of them reported injuries, Wagner added.

Wagner said authorities received a 911 call about a reckless driver on Cliff Drive minutes before the accident was reported, and the investigation will look into whether the reported reckless vehicle is the same as the crashed Mercedes.

No other vehicles appear to have been involved in the collision.

Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNewsand @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.

This story was originally published November 29, 2017 at 2:39 PM with the headline "Driver dies after Mercedes hits curb, ricochets into city bus."