Friday afternoon turned grim along Santa Monica's normally busy Main Street when a pedestrian was struck and killed by a bus at Main Street and Ocean Park Boulevard, shutting down the Ocean Park corridor and clogging traffic for hours. The collision triggered a large emergency response and left nearby shopkeepers and passersby visibly shaken.
Santa Monica police told KTLA the crash happened around 2 p.m., and the pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators were still working to piece together what led up to the deadly impact.
A rider who said they were on the bus described the chaotic moments after the collision in a social post, while other commuters reported buses being abruptly rerouted off Main Street. Those crowd-sourced accounts lined up with riders' reports of detours as crews worked the scene.
Investigators Lock Down Main Street
Police and emergency crews remained on scene into the afternoon. KTLA reported its Sky5 helicopter was overhead just after 3 p.m., with Main Street shut between Ocean Park Boulevard and Hollister Avenue while the investigation continued. Officers were seen collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses as they tried to reconstruct what happened.
Deadly Crash Amid Santa Monica Safety Push
City of Santa Monica officials in recent years have been pushing corridor safety projects and studies aimed at cutting down on severe crashes and better protecting people on foot. Regionally, traffic deaths remain a stubborn public-safety problem across Los Angeles as leaders roll out Vision Zero policies and street design changes, according to LAist.
What Comes Next
The Santa Monica Police Department says the investigation is ongoing, and officials will share more information once next of kin are notified and initial reports are finished. In the meantime, drivers are being urged to steer clear of the Main Street corridor while crews wrap up their work and investigators continue processing the scene.
