Five people were injured today when a school bus apparently ran a red light in West Baltimore, struck a car, overturned and spun several times before striking another vehicle, city police said.

Three people -- including a 9-year-old boy -- were on the bus. All of them escaped serious injury and were taken from the bus through a rear emergency exit.

The accident occurred shortly before 7 a.m. at Pennsylvania and Lafayette avenues in the Upton area.

Police said the bus was southbound on Pennsylvania Avenue when it approached the intersection and struck a car traveling west on Lafayette Avenue.

Officer John Kalinski of the police traffic investigation unit said the bus apparently failed to stop for a red light.

The force of the collision caused the bus to overturn and spin about 25 feet on its right side before it struck a vehicle that was northbound on Pennsylvania Avenue.

A woman was in the first vehicle struck by the bus, and a man was in the other, police said.

The three victims in the bus were taken to University of Maryland Medical Center. They were identified as Charles Griffin Sr., 66, the driver, who was in stable condition, and Rhonda Thomas, 31, and Eric Chambers, 9, who were treated and released.

Dorothy Austin, 62, the driver of the car traveling on Lafayette Ave

nue, was taken to University and was expected to be released later today.

The other victim, Harold Green, 39, was being treated at Maryland General Hospital.

Charges against Mr. Griffin are pending, police said.