A bus crossed the freeway divider and collided with a passenger vehicle, sending 25 patients to the hospital.

At 1:00pm on October 14, 2018 the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a reported collision on the southbound 405 Freeway at Nordhoff. Incidents on a freeway are extremely dangerous to not only those involved but to first responders and bystanders. Upon arrival, firefighters found debris strewn across both sides of the freeway, causing an immediate full closure. 

Incident Commander, Captain II (Acting Battalion Chief) Roy Page requested additional resources and initiated the Multi-Casualty Incident (MCI) Command System.  This organizational system facilitates the efficient, coordinated treatment / transport of patients to surrounding medical facilities. The first arriving LAFD Ambulance will open radio communications with the Medical Alert Center (MAC) to determine which hospitals will be receiving patients, how many and their corresponding conditions.  This must be closely coordinated because a hospital's resources can be quickly overwhelmed if an unexpected, large number of patients arrive.  

An incident of this scale requires focused teamwork to ensure all patients are located, bystanders are safely isolated and traffic is controlled.  The California Highway Patrol was a vital partner on this scene and they ensured the incident was handled without any further injuries to those remaining on the freeway.  

Over 40 total patients were evaluated by firefighters with 25 being transported. Five adults, ranging in age from 30 - 88 years old transported in serious condition. Three of those patients were classified serious not due to visible injuries but based on the severity of the impact (mechanism of injury) in accordance with Los Angeles County Department of Health Services protocol.  An additional 20 patients were transported with a range of minor injuries.

The cause of the collision is under investigation by the CHP.