Ventura County-owned bus runs over bicyclist, flees without helping, police say

An Oxnard man is facing a felony charge of hit-and-run after he allegedly struck and seriously injured a bicyclist while driving a Ventura County Transportation Commission bus Thursday morning.

The cyclist, identified only as a 64-year-old man from Goleta, was riding his bicycle on Telegraph Road near Joanne Avenue in Ventura around 9:50 a.m. when a blue bus passed him, the Ventura Police Department said in a news release.

During the overtake, the bus hit the bike’s handlebars, sending the cyclist to the ground. The bus’s rear wheels then ran over the man, police said, adding that he suffered “major injuries to his lower body.”

“The bus continued its route without stopping to render aid or exchange information,” the release added.

A witness identified the bus as a VCTC vehicle, and with the agency’s help, police identified 33-year-old Edgar Landeros as the driver, officials said.

Landeros was booked into the Ventura County Jail but has since been released on bail.

He is due to appear in Ventura County Superior Court on Oct. 5.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Ventura Police Command Center at 805-650-8010.