Last Updated on January 10, 2023 by CCAR Staff
SAN BERNARDINO >> A stolen taco truck fleeing from police reportedly struck a school bus and propane truck and led to an officer-involved shooting that prompted a shutdown of the intersection at Mill and I streets Monday morning.
A witness said police shot at two men in the Amapola taco truck after it struck the bus and knocked over a traffic signal.
“It was crazy,” said Jeremy Morales, 33, of San Bernardino, who pulled into a nearby gas station to get out of the way of the pursuit. He said he heard about two shots fired.
“I’m glad no one was hurt, especially none of the kids,” he said. “Only the two guys in the truck look like (they) got hurt.”
The Amapola truck was reported stolen around 8:40 a.m. from the restaurant’s corporate office at Base Line and Mount Vernon Avenue, said San Bernardino police Lt. Rich Lawhead. Police spotted the stolen truck near Base Line when it got onto the southbound 215 Freeway.
Lawhead said the truck struck several vehicles on the freeway although it didn’t appear anyone was seriously injured in those collisions. The large box truck exited at Mill Street, made a left turn and ran into traffic.
“They were stopped at the light,” said Morales, adding “The truck drove on the sidewalk to try to get around (traffic).”
More than 40 students from Richardson Prep Hi Middle School were on the bus that was struck. None were injured. The school bus driver also was not hurt.
Two additional buses were called to the scene to take the children to school.
“All students are back safe at school,” tweeted Eric Vetere, safety/emergency manager for the San Bernardino Unified School District.
The two men, later identified as Sean Fowler, 20, and Daiquon Horne, 22, both of San Bernardino, who were inside the reportedly stolen vehicle, were taken to a hospital, Lawhead said. It was unclear what injuries the two men sustained, but Lawhead said no one was struck in the officer-involved shooting.
