2 Killed in Bus Accident on S. State College Blvd. in Fullerton, CA

Fullerton, CA — April 12, 2025, Two people were killed following a bus accident that occurred at around 6:45 A.M. on S. State College Blvd.

An investigation is underway into a bus accident that left two people injured during the morning hours of April 12th. According to official reports, a Tesla Model 3 operated by a male driver with a female passenger was traveling on Orangethorpe Avenue approaching the intersection with South State College Blvd. when for unknown reasons the vehicle failed to stop at a red light and struck a Toyota pickup truck followed by a bus.

When first responders arrived on the scene, they found that the passenger was fatally injured and she was pronounced deceased, while the driver had sustained critical injuries and he was transported to the hospital where he later succumbed to his wounds. At this time there has been no further information released about the accident, including the identities of those involved, however this remains an ongoing investigation and more details may be released in the future.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a vehicle reportedly runs a red light and causes a multi-vehicle collision with fatal consequences, as was described in this case, it’s natural for initial attention to focus on what the driver did or didn’t do. But it’s critical not to stop there. Crashes like this raise three essential questions that must be answered before anyone can claim to understand what happened: Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? And has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected?

A crash involving three vehicles—including a Tesla Model 3, a pickup truck, and a bus—demands a thorough and methodical investigation. Authorities need to determine not just that the Tesla failed to stop at a red light, but why. That means examining the traffic signal timing, visibility at the intersection, driver behavior, and road conditions. These are all routine elements of a proper crash reconstruction. However, depending on the agency, the availability of trained personnel, and the urgency to clear the scene, not all investigations are equally detailed. In high-severity crashes with fatalities, especially those involving newer or complex vehicle technologies, it’s essential that the investigation leaves no stone unturned.

That brings us to a commonly missed piece of the puzzle: the role of potential vehicle defects or system failures. This is particularly relevant when the vehicle involved is a Tesla—a brand that includes advanced driver assistance systems like Autopilot. It’s not enough to assume human error simply because a vehicle failed to stop. Investigators should be asking whether the braking system functioned properly, whether Autopilot or Full Self-Driving was engaged, and if there were any warnings or malfunctions reported by the vehicle prior to the crash. These are not questions that can be answered without conducting a forensic examination of the vehicle. And too often, the opportunity to perform that kind of analysis is lost if the vehicle is not preserved.

Lastly, collecting electronic data is absolutely essential in understanding the circumstances surrounding this crash. Teslas are among the most data-rich vehicles on the road today, capturing information not only through the electronic control module (ECM), but also through cameras, radar, and onboard diagnostics. This data can show the exact speed, throttle position, braking input, and even whether the driver’s hands were on the wheel leading up to the collision. Similarly, data from the Toyota pickup and the bus may also provide critical insights—either through their own ECMs or any onboard surveillance systems. As always, the window to retrieve this data is limited. If the vehicles are repaired, scrapped, or reset before the data is secured, the opportunity to understand the full picture may be gone forever.

In a crash of this scale, with multiple vehicles and lives lost, it’s not enough to rely on the surface-level explanation that one car didn’t stop. The deeper truth only emerges when the right questions are asked: Was the investigation detailed and supported by the right resources? Has the Tesla been inspected for any defect or failure in its systems? And has all available electronic data—including from the electronic control modules and the vehicle’s internal sensors—been collected and preserved? Until those questions are fully answered, the investigation remains incomplete, and those affected are left without a full understanding of what occurred.