All traffic (highway) collisions and non-traffic (off-highway) collisions which occur within a contract city shall be documented on either a Traffic Collision Report (CHP-555) form or a Traffic Collision Report - Property Damage Only (CHP-555-03) form as appropriate.
Deputies are responsible for the collision investigation involving a transit bus in the contract cities of Los Angeles County with the exception of collisions involving school buses carrying pupils. A transit bus may be contracted by a school district to transport students along existing routes. If the transit bus takes on other passengers along the route, it does not qualify as a school bus. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has the responsibility for all school bus collisions, as defined by Section 545 of the Vehicle Code. CHP has the option of responding and handling the collision or deferring it to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Transit bus collisions in a contract city require the handling deputy to take the appropriate collision report. The handling deputy shall ensure that the station traffic investigator/sergeant is notified immediately if injury occurs. The first deputy on the scene shall ensure that the involved vehicles, especially the commercial carrier, are not moved or in any way disturbed, unless prior approval has been obtained from the Station Traffic Investigator, CHP, or Traffic Services Detail. This is necessary to be able to establish any possible mechanical failure during a follow-up inspection. If the station’s traffic staff is not available, the Traffic Services Detail shall be contacted. If the collision is not in a contract city, deputies shall render assistance as necessary and notify the agency of jurisdiction via the Sheriff’s Communication Center.
If the investigation indicates that the transit bus requires inspection, the California Highway Patrol, Motor Carrier Safety Unit, shall be notified immediately. They can be contacted at (323) 644-9557, Monday thru Friday, 0800 -1700 hours, or reached after hours by the local CHP watch commander. The Motor Carrier Safety Unit also maintains records of carrier companies’ violations and may request for the vehicle to be held for inspection based on previous violations.