TURLOCK — Minutes after fleeing a hit-and-run crash on Lander Avenue, a Turlock man barreled through a westside intersection Thursday night and slammed into a Turlock Transit bus, a violent collision that sent the bus careening off the roadway and into a nearby home, police said.

Officers were first dispatched at about 8:10 p.m. Sept. 24 to a hit-and-run just north of Highway 99 involving a white Kia sedan driven by Kevin Wooten, 53. Turlock Police said Wooten struck another vehicle and sped away, leaving behind a damaged car and a shaken driver but no reported injuries.

As officers were still en route, a second call came in — this one reporting a major crash near High Street and West Avenue South. Investigators later determined Wooten had been traveling westbound on High Street when he failed to stop at the intersection and plowed into the bus.

The force of the impact pushed the bus off the pavement, across a yard and into the front wall of a residence, partially breaching the home. No one was inside at the time. The collision also sheared a fire hydrant and ruptured a natural gas line, flooding the intersection with emergency crews and prompting PG&E to shut down the area.

When officers reached the scene, they found Wooten unresponsive inside the Kia. Despite attempts to revive him, he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the police department.

The bus was occupied only by its driver, who suffered serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital. Police said the driver is expected to make a full recovery.

The Turlock Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Team responded and continues to investigate. It is not yet known whether drugs or alcohol played a role; toxicology results are pending.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Ferreira at (209) 668-6576.