Driver, 8 Passengers Hurt When Van Hits Pole
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VENTURA — The driver and all eight passengers were injured when a van taking clients home from the west Ventura office of an agency that provides support services for people with developmental disabilities crashed into a telephone pole Monday afternoon.
The 76-year-old driver was leaving the Arc-Ventura County office along the 2600 block of Ventura Avenue about 2:30 p.m. when his foot slipped off the brake pedal and hit the accelerator, causing the vehicle to slam into a telephone pole 15 feet away, said Sgt. Bob Velez of the Ventura Police Department.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. Aug. 4, 1999 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday August 4, 1999 Ventura County Edition Metro Part B Page 4 Zones Desk 1 inches; 26 words Type of Material: Correction
Van accident--A story Tuesday incorrectly reported the operator of an Arc-Ventura County van that was involved in a traffic accident. The van was operated by Fillmore Area Transit.
Three passengers and the driver were taken to Ventura County Medical Center, where all but the unidentified driver were treated and released. He complained of chest pains and was kept at the hospital for monitoring.
The van was headed to Santa Paula and Fillmore to take clients home, said Julie Helm-Allen, an Arc spokeswoman.
Staff members rushed to the scene to calm the victims, she said.
“They do get scared,” she said. “That’s why it was fortunate our staff was right there.”
The van used by Arc is provided by Laidlaw Inc. through a contract with the Tri-County Regional Center.
Arc-Ventura County--formerly the Assn. of Retarded Citizens--was established in 1954 and offers employment, training and social and support services to adults with developmental disabilities.
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