Friends, family and complete strangers expressed sadness and sorrow over the death of Olivia Gamboa, who was killed when the Metro bus she was driving collided with a flatbed tow truck at the intersection of Fifth Street and Broadway in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Witnesses said the tow truck driver was going about twice the posted speed limit at the time of the crash. He lacked the proper driver's license and operating permit, NBC4 reported.
Gamboa, the only person aboard the bus, was found face-down in water that gushed from a sheared fire hydrant. She was taken to the hospital in critical condition, where she was listed in critical condition and later died, according to Metro officials.
A makeshift memorial was set up outside a 7-Eleven where the tow truck slammed through the storefront. Mourners left flowers, candles and condolence messages on Thursday, when police said her death had become part of a homicide investigation.
Gamboa, a 47-year-old Montebello resident, had worked for Metro for 13 years, according to the agency. Her husband and her daughter are also Metro bus operators.
Photo Credit: Kemal Cilenger / SiliconCheef