contributed photo
Upton bus U29 was rear ended on it’s route transporting students home from Miscoe Hill on Wednesday January 8.
According to Upton Police Chief Bradley the bus had stopped to let off a student near 213 Mendon Street, Upton. The bus had its stop sign out when it was struck. According to Chief Bradley the car immediately behind the bus had made a stop but was forced into U29 when it was rear ended by another vehicle.
One passenger in one of the vehicles was transported for medical treatment according to Chief Bradley. At the scene Chief Bradley reported that all the students appeared to be fine.
Juliet Silvestri, an 8th grader at Miscoe Hill, said the bus had stopped to let a student off when she felt the jolt. “It felt like we hit a big pot hole but the bus was stopped.” The student who was about to get off was standing near the front of the bus. Juliet said after the jolt students at the back of the bus yelled up to the driver “Kathy, a car just hit us.” Shortly after several emergency vehicles arrived.
Colleen Boucher said, “Thank God my daughter is okay. She was the one just about to get off the bus and was standing at the top of the stairway. She said she grabbed the railing to prevent herself from going through the windshield. This is awful.”
Tommy Doyle, a 7th grader who was also on the bus, said a police officer and a firefighter came on the bus to make sure everyone was okay. “They wanted to make sure no one bumped their heads or anything.”
According to the kids on the bus all the students were sitting when the bus was struck with the exception of the student whose stop it was. U29’s bus driver Kathy has a strict policy that all students must be seated when the bus is at a stop – with the exception of the students who are getting off the bus.
A parent of one of the students on the bus said everyone handled the situation perfectly. At first the school called to inform parents the bus would be delayed because it had been in a minor accident and that everyone was fine. Shortly after the first call the school called again to advise students needed to be released from Miscoe Hill. Another parent said, “This could have been so much worse.”
At the time of this report no students had complained of injuries or sought medical treatment.
Click TO enlarge images. Images taken from inside the bus were contributed by a student.
UPTON DAILY 