Grandmother, 76, killed by school bus while walking through Los Angeles County intersection

Lifestyle

A 76-year-old grandmother was killed immediately after she was hit by a school bus this week while in a crosswalk in east Los Angeles County. 

Blanca Arcelia Guerrero, 76, was struck by a Hacienda La Puente Unified School District bus Monday afternoon at the intersection of Hacienda Boulevard and Fairgrove Avenue, according to FOX 11. 

“The impact was so intense, it fractured her elderly body,” Yvonne Torres, one of Guerrero’s six daughters, told FOX 11. “It caused her to fall to the ground, which broke her skull and she died instantly. Our last memory with our mother is seeing her poor lifeless body in the mortuary, but she looked as beautiful as we can remember her.” 

The medical examiner reportedly ruled her cause of death blunt force trauma. 

 

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, and no arrests have been made yet, FOX 11 reported. 

The crash happened around 2:20 p.m. but it’s unclear if any children or other passengers were onboard at the time. 

Torres said her mother walked in her neighborhood every day. 

“She almost made it to the end of the crosswalk,” Torres added. “She just had a couple of steps. Why couldn’t they just wait? That second could have given us more years that we needed with her. To her, unknowingly, it was her last walk she would ever walk.” 

The family said it wasn’t contacted about Guerrero’s death until more than five hours after the crash and is offering a reward for information about her death. 

“The person that was driving, to me, was negligent because they could have stopped. They could have stopped for her,” said Torres. 

They’re also concerned about the safety of the intersections in the area. 

“These intersections are not safe,” Torres told FOX 11. “There’s been more accidents. It could have been someone’s child, and there’s a lot of elderly that live here. If my mom’s life was taken away, maybe it’ll be for a reason to put streetlights or save another person’s life. We don’t want this to go unnoticed. We don’t want nothing to happen out of losing our mother’s life.” 

The school district called the incident “heartbreaking” in a statement to FOX 11. 

“The safety and well-being of our students, staff and community is our top priority, and the news of this tragic accident is heartbreaking,” the statement said. “We understand that any incident revolving around the safety of our students is difficult for everyone. Hacienda La Puente Unified counseling services will be made available to any students, staff and families impacted by this event.

“The district is working closely with local law enforcement during their investigation. We have no further information at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in this incident.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the California Highway Patrol.