Fatal Motorcycle vs. Bus Crash on 55 Near Costa Mesa

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — A motorcycle traveling on the Costa Mesa Freeway struck an Orange County Transportation Authority bus on Sunday, killing its rider.

The cyclist was identified as Bruce Fowler, Jr., a 63-year-old Huntington Beach man, according to the Orange County Coroner's office.

"The crash was reported at about 8:15 p.m. Sunday on the northbound Costa Mesa Freeway just north of 22nd Street in Costa Mesa," California Highway Patrol Officer C. Averill said.

According to reports, Fowler was riding his 2013 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, driving between lanes 3 and 4.

The 2001 OCTA bus, driven by 57-year-old Perry Bogdan of Huntington Beach, was in lane 4 when Bogdan stopped because of traffic congestion, according to Averill.

Costa Mesa Police state that Fowler was driving between the lanes at a high rate of speed.

"For unknown reasons he made an unsafe turning movement to the right and struck the rear of the bus," Averill said.

Fowler was ejected from the motorcycle and landed in the No. 2 lane. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the bus was not injured, Averill said. There is no word as to whether there were passengers on the bus at the time of the incident.

The northbound Costa Mesa Freeway was closed from for approximately two hours, from 8:45 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. on Sunday to complete the investigation.