Bus driver in crash is acquitted

A Newport-Mesa Unified School District bus driver who stopped inches short of crashing a school bus into a private home in Costa Mesa after a collision with an SUV earlier this year was found not guilty Wednesday of running a red light before the accident.

Tewodros Kiflu, a driver for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District for the past four years, crashed his bus into an SUV before losing control of his vehicle and steering it onto the lawn of a home on the northwest corner of Baker Street and Royal Palm Drive in April.

The bus stopped just three inches short of smashing into the house. No children were aboard the bus at the time. Kiflu suffered minor injuries in the crash.

— Brianna Bailey