Official: Tech bus that killed SJ woman contracted by Google

The driver of one of the so-called tech buses contracted by Google struck and killed a 51-year-old woman walking through a community college in Saratoga on a wet and windy afternoon with low visibility, officials said Wednesday.

The accident was reported around 5:15 p.m. Tuesday on the campus of West Valley College, said Sgt. Rich Glennon, a spokesman for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.

Though she was rushed to nearby Valley Medical Center, the woman — identified by the college as Xiaolan Li of San Jose — died from her injuries, Glennon said. The woman may have been walking home from her job at a nearby retirement center when she was struck, authorities said.

A woman and a Google bus cross paths on Charleston Road at Google's campus in Mountain View, Calif. on Friday, March 6, 2015. A tech bus operated by San Francisco-based Storer Coachways struck and killed a woman in Saratoga Tuesday, officials said. less A woman and a Google bus cross paths on Charleston Road at Google's campus in Mountain View, Calif. on Friday, March 6, 2015. A tech bus operated by San Francisco-based Storer Coachways struck and killed a ... more Photo: James Tensuan, Special To The Chronicle Photo: James Tensuan, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close Official: Tech bus that killed SJ woman contracted by Google 1 / 7 Back to Gallery

The bus belonged to San Francisco-based Storer Coachways, and it was contracted out by Google to transport its workers between West Valley College and its main Mountain View campus about 12 miles to the north, said Scott Ludwig, a spokesman for the college.

Google and the college have an agreement allowing employees of the tech giant to park at the college and take buses to work, Ludwig said.

Investigators “see it as a tragic accident,” Ludwig said. “They’re still trying to determine the cause.”

The driver of the bus stopped and cooperated with investigators following the crash, and no one on the bus was injured, Ludwig said.

In San Francisco, similar buses — some owned by the tech companies outright, and not contracted out — have long been a source of contention by locals who complain their drivers routinely commit traffic violations and should be more strictly regulated by the city as their numbers continue to swell throughout Bay Area roadways.

The woman who was killed Wednesday was in a road on the college campus as the southbound bus turned left from Fruitvale Avenue onto Athletics Way, Glennon said. It’s unclear if she was in a crosswalk.

A spokesperson for Google did not return requests for comment.

West Valley’s president, Bradley Davis, said in a statement that this “tragic accident is a reminder of how precious and fragile life can be.”

“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the victim,” Davis said. “We will provide whatever assistance possible to help them during this difficult time.”

The sheriff’s department is assisting the campus police department in investigating the incident, Glennon said.

In a statement, Storer said the company is cooperating in the investigation.

“Regrettably, the accident has taken the life of the pedestrian,” the statement from Storer reads. “We are greatly saddened for this loss and offer our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the family.”

Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @michael_bodley