A passenger bus veered off a southern California highway early Wednesday and flipped over, killing at least four people and injuring several others, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) said. The driver of the bus apparently was trying to avoid some pipes in the road that had fallen off a truck traveling the opposite direction in an earlier accident. "He saw some debris and veered to the right," said CHP spokesman Jason Girard. The bus, which was traveling from Phoenix to Los Angeles, landed at the bottom of a shallow embankment, trapping some victims inside, the spokesman said. Four people were dead, Girard said, and at least three others suffered serious injuries and were airlifted from the scene. More than 12 others were taken to hospitals for evaluation, he said.