Drivers

The driver of a limousine involved in a deadly fire on the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge said he first thought his passengers wanted to smoke a cigarette when they told him there was smoke in the back of the car. Orville Brown told the Associated Press he misunderstood one of the passengers when she said she smelled smoke. Brown told the San Francisco Chronicle that over the loud music, he thought she said she wanted to smoke, only to realize what was happening seconds later when she knocked on the partition again, screaming, “Smoke, smoke!

The give-away for fans at the Galaxy game Sunday night was a Landon Donovan bobblehead doll. But for Donovan, what mattered was the penalty kick that got away. Donovan failed to convert his second consecutive penalty kick and the Houston Dynamo defeated the Galaxy, 1-0, in front of 20,071 at a chilly Home Depot Center. BOX SCORE: Houston 1, Galaxy 0 The victory gave Houston some solace after the Galaxy defeated the Dynamo in the MLS Cup to win the league championship the last two years, with the Galaxy winning both titles at home.

Toyota is issuing another recall of FJ Cruiser SUVs. This time, the automaker is recalling 11,489 of its model year 2007-2013 Cruisers because of a headlight problem that could blind oncoming drivers. In March, Toyota recalled 209,000 Cruisers because of a problem with seatbelt retractors that could become detached from the vehicle frame. The Cruisers in the newly issued recall were manufactured from Jan. 25, 2006, through Feb. 23 of this year, said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Grief-stricken classmates of a 13-year-old boy who was struck and killed by a school bus on Thursday returned to Roosevelt Middle School in Glendale on Friday, some of them seeking solace at a memorial that was set up at the collision site. The Los Angeles County coroner on Friday identified the boy as Jonathan Hernandez, who died shortly after being struck and trapped underneath a school bus Thursday afternoon at Columbus Avenue and Riverdale Drive. Grief counselors were at the campus for friends and teachers who knew Jonathan, who was described as well-liked and a student who excelled academically.

The elite level of the National Hot Rod Assn.'s funny car drag racing is dominated by two multi-car teams, John Force Racing and Don Schumacher Racing, which have seven funny car drivers between them. But that's of no concern to one of the sport's soloists, veteran Cruz Pedregon. Pedregon, 49, leads the funny car championship standings after his win Sunday near Houston even though he's a single-car team, with Pedregon as driver, chief engine tuner and manager. It's the first time since September 2009 that a driver who does not work for Force or Schumacher has led the funny car standings in the NHRA's premier Mello Yello Series.

Los Angeles police are asking for the public's help in tracking down an SUV driver suspected of intentionally hitting a pedestrian who was thrown 60 feet, resulting in his death. The 50-year-old victim, who was not immediately identified, was standing in the street "near the west curb" of the 600 block of San Julian Street when the SUV, heading north, hit him around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday. Witnesses told police the driver appeared "to intentionally point" his vehicle at the victim and "accelerate at a high rate of speed.

Is it legal to read your smartphone map while driving? We'll know soon enough. The Case of the Distracted Driver is heading to California's 5th District Court of Appeal. On Wednesday, the court said it would take up an appeal filed by Steven Spriggs, the Cal State Fresno fundraiser who was ticketed in January 2012 by a California Highway Patrol officer for looking at his iPhone map while stopped in a highway traffic jam. Spriggs lost in traffic court and again in his local court's appeal division.

A driver suspected of causing a fatal collision involving nine vehicles in South Los Angeles was speeding on the wrong side of the street shortly before the fiery crash occurred, police said Tuesday night. The driver, who was in a black Dodge Charger, was speeding southbound on the northbound side of Broadway, police said. The driver allegedly ran a red light, slamming head-on into a vehicle and then striking seven other vehicles in the 200 block of West Manchester Avenue, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

It's fun for mayoral candidates to imagine eliminating potholes or building new trains to link the Valley to the Westside. It's not hard to support a spiffed-up LAX (really, what's hard to believe is that it's taken this long) or legions of new police officers making Los Angeles safe. What you don't often hear from these candidates, however, is a thoughtful vision for the Port of Los Angeles. The port can seem far away, but it's crucial to the city's life. Every year, more than $250 billion worth of cargo passes through its 7,500 acres of docks and cranes.

Be honest. While driving, how many times have you yielded to the siren call of that smartphone? Or maybe you've picked it up for just a second because a text came in or to check directions using its GPS function. Sure, these devices have become more than just phones; they've become something akin to a new appendage for many of us. LIVE DISCUSSION: Join us at 11 a.m. Pacific time They are our calendars, cameras, mobile maps and music players as much as they are communication devices.