Santa Monica, CA — May 30, 2025, a woman was injured following a pedestrian versus bus accident shortly before 8:15 a.m. along Pico Boulevard.

According to authorities, a transit bus was traveling eastbound on Pico Boulevard in the vicinity of the Harvard Boulevard intersection when the accident took place.

Details surrounding the accident remain scarce. Officials indicate that, for as yet unknown reasons, a woman who had apparently been on foot in the road was struck by the bus. She reportedly suffered critical injuries due to the accident and was transported to a local medical facility by EMS in order to receive immediate treatment.

No word, yet, from the news as to who may have been at fault in the collision. Additional details pertaining to this incident—including the identity of the victim—are not available at this point in time. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Commentary

When a pedestrian is hit by a transit bus during the morning rush, it raises the kind of concerns that demand clear answers: How did the woman end up in the bus’s path? Was the bus operator paying attention? And could this have been avoided?

According to early reports, the pedestrian was in the roadway near Pico and Harvard when the eastbound bus struck her. She was critically injured and taken to the hospital, but beyond that, we don’t yet have answers about how this collision unfolded. It’s not even clear whether she was in a crosswalk, crossing against the light, or walking along the edge of the road.

That may not sound like much, but those unanswered questions make all the difference when it comes to figuring out who’s responsible. Was the pedestrian crossing where she wasn’t supposed to? That’s one possibility. But in my experience, pedestrian-versus-bus crashes often come down to what the driver saw—or should have seen—and when.

Transit buses operate in some of the most complex driving environments there are: tight lanes, heavy foot traffic, bike lanes, construction zones, and people darting across mid-block. That means the drivers have to be constantly alert. In fact, because of the risk to pedestrians, bus operators are trained to anticipate unexpected foot traffic. If someone steps into the road and there’s enough time to brake or swerve safely, the law expects a professional driver to try.

That’s why any investigation needs to focus on hard evidence: Was the bus speeding? Did the driver have a clear view of the road ahead? Were they distracted? The bus’s onboard systems—especially dash cameras and telematics—can help answer all of that. And if the pedestrian crossed mid-block or stepped out suddenly, that’ll be visible too.

But here's the key point: it's not about guessing who was at fault—it’s about confirming it with facts. I’ve handled cases where surveillance footage completely changed the picture of what happened. That kind of evidence will be crucial here.

Key Takeaways

• It’s not yet clear whether the pedestrian was crossing legally or unexpectedly entered the bus’s path.
• Critical evidence includes dash cam footage, driver behavior, and vehicle speed at the time of the crash.
• Bus drivers are held to a high standard and must anticipate pedestrian risks, especially in dense urban areas.
• Pedestrian location, visibility, and movement patterns are all essential pieces of the puzzle.
• Responsibility can only be determined once a full review of the physical and digital evidence is complete.