Two Men Hurt When Stolen MTA Bus Hits House During Chase

The driver of a bus that led South Gate police on a short chase Thursday night before smashing into a house, seriously injuring himself and critically hurting a man, had stolen the vehicle, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokeswoman said Friday.

The MTA driver had parked at a designated rest stop at Garfield Avenue and Florence Place and was taking a break when the suspect hopped aboard and drove off just before 7 p.m., spokeswoman Mary Ann Maskerey said. Police say the MTA driver flagged down patrol officers, who initiated a chase that ended when the bus hit two cars, a man and a house near Chalet Drive and Foster Bridge Boulevard. The 35-year-old man, who may have been riding a bicycle, had to be pulled from under the bus. He was in critical condition Friday at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood. The driver was in serious condition.