School bus goes off road near Blackstone River
By Veronica Haynes, David Bienick
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NORTHBRIDGE, Massachusetts (WCVB) — Crews worked for hours Monday afternoon to secure and remove a school bus that veered off the road and nearly crashed into the Blackstone River in Northbridge, Massachusetts.
The crash happened on Church Street at about 1:30 p.m. The bus went through the side of a bridge, leaving it “teetering very precariously” over the Blackstone River, Northbridge Deputy Fire Chief Tony Genga said.
Genga said the bus was “within inches of falling into the river.” Luckily, the rear of the bus snagged something to keep it from plunging in.
“The back side of the bus appears that it just got enough of the roadway to keep it out of the river,” Genga said.
The bus is from the Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational High School. No students were on board, and the driver suffered a few scrapes but did not require hospitalization, Genga said.
“We were able to stabilize the bus using our heavy rescue apparatus, stabilizing jacks and the Jaws of Life,” Genga said.
Crews used chains and a tow truck equipped with a crane to stabilize and move the bus back onto the roadway.
“One false move, and it could go in the river. It’s still in a position where it’s dangerous,” Genga said.
The bus driver told officials a tractor-trailer was traveling in the opposite direction before the crash. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
MassDOT will inspect the bridge before it reopens to traffic.
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