GARDNER, Mass. — Three students were injured after they were hit by a public transit bus at Mount Wachusett Community College Tuesday morning.
Another student who was on the bus said the three victims had just been dropped off in the parking lot around 7:50 a.m. when the bus attempted to turn but jumped the curb, hitting them from behind on the sidewalk, NBC Boston reports.
“The bus seemed to speed up and jump the curb, striking three students one at a time, and resulting in their bodies flying onto the grass and shattering the windshield,” Sam Nieves described. “Had it been a fully-packed campus, like normal, it could’ve been much worse.”
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Nieves said he’s not sure why the driver lost control of the bus, which is operated by the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MRTA). He said it was the regular driver he sees almost every day and that there has never been a problem. MRTA CEO Bruno Fisher said the driver will have his license suspended, which is standard protocol, and that he was tested for drugs an alcohol.
The students were brought to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries All three were alert and communicating with officers and first responders, the school said.
The victims are all students from the Narragansett Regional School District and are taking courses at the community college as part of an early-college program. Mount Wachusett officials said the school has been in touch with the three victims’ families and have offered support to those on the scene.
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“We recognize that incidents like this are traumatic, especially to those directly involved or who witnessed this event,” said the school. “Councilors will be available throughout the day for any community member who needs additional support or who would like to talk.”
The Gardner Police Department is investigating the incident.
