A former University of Utah associate professor died after falling out of a moving campus shuttle bus late Thursday.

The professor was a 63-year-old female researcher originally from China, campus police Sgt. Arbon Nordgran confirmed Friday. She became a naturalized citizen in 2003. No further identification was available, as police are still trying to inform the woman's family.

The woman, who worked at the university in 2000 but was not a current employee, fell through the westbound shuttle's side rear doors as it turned left from North Campus Drive onto Mario Capecchi Drive about 8:20 p.m. She may have hit her head on the ground.

"She was standing at the time of the turn, apparently lost her grip and fell against the doors," Nordgran said. Police are investigating why the doors opened.

The woman was alive but unconscious when Salt Lake City Fire Department paramedics arrived. She died later at University Hospital, spokesman Phil Sahm said.

Norman Chambers, assistant vice president for auxiliary services for the U., said the shuttle was taken to the U.'s motor pool facility, where investigators from the Utah Department of Transportation inspected it.

The Utah Highway Patrol also inspected the bus and determined there was no driver error and the shuttle appeared to be road worthy, a press release from the university stated Friday night. The shuttle doors also appeared to be in proper working order.

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"We're all shocked by this, extremely concerned about it," Chambers said. "We're doing all we can to dovetail into UDOT's investigation, providing them the shuttle's maintenance records. It was just serviced last week."

UDOT spokesman Scott Thompson said state investigators are awaiting a final version of the accident report from campus police, then planned to begin their own work. Thompson said UDOT's inspections of the vehicle could begin Monday or sooner, depending on when the report is completed.

Meantime, U. spokesman Remi Barron said the school's own transportation officials were finishing their own initial review of the accident.

While the overall investigation was just beginning Friday, Chambers said that from "what preliminary reports we have, it appears this was just a terrible, tragic accident."

Ken Searles, associate director for campus transportation, said there was no question, however, that the shuttle's doors should not have opened while it was still in motion.

Searles said the shuttle driver, whose name was not released, is on paid leave pending results from his routine blood alcohol test and the investigation.

The U.'s commuter services division operates 29 shuttle buses on campus, Searles said.

Mark Patterson, a university employee who has ridden the shuttle for about 11 years, said about half of the drivers can be reckless.

"They take the corners too fast ... so fast that people are frequently sliding out of their seats," he said. "I'm surprised that they'd fall out of the bus, that shocks me. I'm not surprised someone was injured."

Director of Commuter Services Alma Allred disagreed, saying "we're pretty careful about the drivers that we hire."

Student Zach Franzoni, 19, said he takes the shuttle about three times a week, and he's never felt unsafe. Occasionally, they are standing room only, though.

"When they get crowded, they get super-crowded," Franzoni said. Sometimes drivers turn passengers away if they don't fit, he added.

-- Tribune reporters Lindsay Whitehurst and Jason Bergreen contributed to this story.