Authorities say 20 were hospitalized, three with major injuries, after the Sunday night crash on State Route 330 near Running Springs.
RUNNING SPRINGS, Calif. — A charter bus carrying teenagers and young adults from a Santa Ana Catholic church overturned on a winding mountain highway Sunday night, injuring 26 people and sending 20 to hospitals, officials said. The rollover happened just before 9 p.m. on State Route 330 south of Running Springs in the San Bernardino Mountains.
The crash involved a group from Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Santa Ana returning from a weekend retreat in the mountains. Thirty-six people were aboard the bus when it tipped onto its side on a curve, prompting a mass-casualty response and an hours-long closure of both directions of the two-lane road. Fire officials said three patients suffered major injuries and the others had moderate to minor injuries. Investigators with the California Highway Patrol are examining what led to the loss of control on the downhill stretch. Authorities said there was no sign of fire or hazardous materials at the scene. As of late Monday, several patients remained hospitalized in stable condition.
Witnesses described a jolt and then a long skid before the bus toppled. One passenger said she felt the coach “shake and swerve” before it went over. A youth leader later recounted blacking out and waking to people shouting for seat checks and roll calls as emergency crews arrived. Triaging began on the asphalt and shoulder within minutes, according to county fire officials, with stretchers lined along the fog line and a temporary treatment area staged in a turnout. Paramedics evaluated 26 people on site, treated scrapes and suspected fractures, and transported 20 by ground ambulance to multiple hospitals in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Church leaders thanked first responders in statements Monday and said group chaperones helped account for everyone within minutes of the rollover.
Officials said the bus, one of several transporting parishioners home from a three-day youth retreat, struck a rock embankment and landed on its passenger side on a downhill curve. The location, near the Fredalba area at roughly 6,100 feet elevation, is a narrow mountain corridor with steep drop-offs and frequent tight turns. The coach carried teens and young adults along with adult chaperones. Authorities listed three patients with major trauma — including a head injury and fractures — while others reported bruises, sprains and minor lacerations. No fatalities were reported. The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. The highway was shut for hours for rescue work, debris removal and documentation, with vehicles turned around at control points until late night.
State Route 330 is a primary connector between the Inland Empire and the resort communities around Running Springs, Arrowbear and Big Bear. The corridor has a history of weather-related closures and crash responses, especially on weekends when visitors descend from campgrounds and trailheads. In this case, clear weather prevailed but darkness and the downhill grade required cautious speeds, authorities said. The group had spent the weekend at a church-organized camp in the San Bernardino National Forest, and multiple buses departed for Orange County on Sunday evening. Local hospitals activated mass-casualty protocols to receive the influx. By Monday afternoon, fire officials said there was no evidence of a vehicle fire at any point despite early social media reports.
CHP investigators are reviewing the bus’s mechanical condition, the driver’s log and statements from passengers to determine whether speed, braking, road conditions or mechanical failure contributed. No arrests or citations had been announced as of Monday night. The agency will produce a preliminary collision report in the coming days and forward findings to state transportation regulators if warranted. Caltrans crews inspected the roadway and guardrails and reopened lanes after documentation and cleanup. Church representatives said they are coordinating with families and insurers; additional counseling support for youth participants is being arranged through the parish. Officials said updates would be provided once patient conditions change or new information emerges from the investigation.
On Monday morning in Santa Ana, Father José Félix Troncoso addressed parishioners, saying the church was “grateful everyone is alive” and praying for those still in the hospital. Jarryd Gonzales, a spokesperson for the parish, said chaperones and older teens helped younger riders exit through side windows and a roof hatch after the rollover and kept the group together until firefighters arrived. Along the mountain highway, orange evidence flags marked the skid path while tow operators worked to right the bus. Drivers who had been stopped behind the scene described a quiet stretch punctured by sirens and rotor wash as a medical helicopter circled before most patients were sent by ground.
As of Monday evening, 20 patients had been evaluated at area hospitals and three remained classified with major injuries; officials said most others were expected to be discharged within a day. State Route 330 reopened after overnight delays. The California Highway Patrol said its preliminary report is expected this week, with a fuller analysis to follow. Parish leaders planned an evening prayer service in Santa Ana and said they would release further updates on hospitalized members as families approve. No timeline was given for the bus’s return to service pending the inspection.
Author note: Last updated November 10, 2025.