Possible Medical Event May Have Contributed to Westwood School Bus Crash

The cause of a Westwood Public Schools bus crash that occurred while the bus was transporting children home after school on Tuesday, September 22, is still under investigation, but a possible medical event experienced by the bus driver may have been a contributing cause, Westwood Police told Westwood Minute on Thursday, September 24.

At approximately 3:38 p.m. on Tuesday, Westwood dispatchers began receiving calls regarding a bus crash off Downey Street near Phillips Brooks Road in Westwood, said Westwood Police Sergeant Christopher Elcock. Police responded along with Westwood Fire paramedics.

The bus appears to have left the roadway on Downey Street while transporting students home from the Downey and Pine Hill elementary schools at the end of the school day.

No major injuries were reported, but a juvenile passenger was transported to a nearby hospital, along with the bus driver.

Along with police, Deb Gallagher, principal of the Downey School, assisted in communicating with parents and coordinating students’ transportation home, said Sgt. Elcock. Some students were placed on a “spare bus” with the assistance of a bus coordinator. Other students were picked up by parents, he said.

The bus sustained damage and was towed from the scene, said Sgt. Elcock.

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