911 Video News

An MTS bus was traveling northbound on Hilltop Drive when it collided with a BMW attempting to make a left turn onto I Street.

This summer has been tumultuous for Caltrans and MTS vehicles. 

On the afternoon of August 25, chaos erupted on University Avenue and 30th Street when an MTS bus traveling eastbound was forced to pull over for an unknown reason. Suddenly, thick smoke billowed from its rear engine, as depicted in a video shared by DayGoTV on Instagram. It quickly garnered attention from the platform's 270,000 followers as young passengers were seen leaping out of the bus, smoking heavily, parked just a few feet from the US Bank walkway, .

One individual, dressed in black, is captured falling onto the sidewalk in his haste to escape the dense smoke. The incident sparked a flurry of comments, with one rider named Mohamed confessing, "No joke, my biggest fear ever since I saw [another] video about that a while back—I never sit in the back." 

One individual is captured falling onto the sidewalk in his haste to escape the dense smoke.

Another commenter, Riley Carter, echoed the sentiment: "Me too; I almost got burnt the last time the bus I entered ha[d] that same kind of problem." However, for a local teacher, CJ Guerrero, this was the first time he'd witnessed such a smoky MTS bus, adding, "I’ve been seeing a lot more of them break down. Maybe they need maintenance or need to be updated."

A few days earlier, on August 8, another vehicle made its rounds on YouTube—a Caltrans pickup truck was reportedly stolen from a construction site near El Cajon Boulevard and Iowa Street in North Park. According to 619 News Media, the truck was found two hours after the theft, parked in front of a 7-Eleven store by the College East neighborhood, thanks to the police department's License Plate Reader camera at El Cajon Boulevard and 70th Street. As of now, no suspect has been apprehended.

A Mini Cooper collided with a Caltrans street sweeper in the HOV lanes of the 15 freeway.

These incidents followed a string of other bizarre  events involving Caltrans vehicles. On August 7, 911 VIDEO NEWS was one of the first on the scene when a Mini Cooper collided with a Caltrans street sweeper in the HOV lanes of the 15 freeway early in the morning. When the Mini Cooper struck the sweeper, the Mini flipped and remained upside down on the pavement. The people in the vehicles in the accident were reportedly unharmed.

The man, who allegedly didn’t have a bus pass, stood atop the retractable bike rack

Earlier that month, on August 3, Pacific Beach neighbors reported on Facebook a significant hydraulic fluid spill caused by a malfunctioning Caltrans street sweeper.

In July, a Caltrans worker was struck by a vehicle on Interstate 5 north of Camp Pendleton in San Clemente. The Caltrans employee died.

On the morning of June 17, in Chula Vista, an MTS bus was traveling northbound on Hilltop Drive when it collided with a BMW attempting to make a left turn from southbound Hilltop Drive onto eastbound I Street. The force of the collision apparently sent the BMW into a spin, and the bus then slammed into a traffic light. Both drivers and two passengers on the bus sustained injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals.

Also in June, Tony Mora of Chula Vista posted a Facebook video of a man climbing onto an MTS bus en route to La Mesa. The man, who allegedly didn’t have a bus pass, stood atop the retractable bike rack, posing for the camera and leaning against the bus’s side mirror as if auditioning for a viral stunt.