Women, girl killed while sitting on bus bench are identified

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Riverside authorities have identified a woman and young girl who where killed Saturday when a car veered across three lanes of traffic and slammed into the bus bench where they were seated.

Melissa Bernal, 28, of Riverside, and Aniya Mitchell, 7, of Corona, were killed when the four-door Kia sedan slammed into the bus bench at 12:58 p.m., authorities said. Two others waiting at the bus stop were seriously injured. Neither the survivors nor the driver were immediately identified, but one of the injured is the 30-year-old mother of the girl who was killed, said Lt. Mark Rossi, a watch commander for the Riverside Police Department.

The other survivor is a 31-year-old man from Riverside.

The driver was questioned by police, but there was no immediate indication he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, a police spokesman said. An investigation is in progress.

The car knocked over a power pole before plowing into the bus stop bench, authorities said.

The accident occcured on Magnolia Avenue near the busy intersection of Tyler Street.

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