Hybrid Bus Slams into Fitchburg Transit Station, Leaving One Critically Injured
By: Michael Burns
7:45 Am in Fitchburg on November 14th A hybrid bus crashed into the intermodal station on main street right down the street from campus. Deputy Fire chief Patrick Roy announced that an unidentified 65 year old man who was sitting on a bench inside of the station was hit, and trapped underneath the bus. The first person to help was the driver of the bus who was then quickly aided by paramedics from the city of fitchburg. The man was deemed to be in critical condition and was then airlifted by helicopter to UMass Memorial Medical Trauma Center in Worcester.
“The patient was trapped under the bus,” Deputy Fire Chief Roy said. “Our crew used air bags, the Jaws of Life and everything to extricate the victim.” Ambulances and fire trucks were quick to respond and were on sight within 5 minutes from the station right across the street. Roy also stated that there were no other injuries other than the driver being “Understandably shaken up”. It is not believed that there were health issues from the bus driver who is approximately in his 50’s. Unconfirmed rumors around the site of the crash suggest that the driver of the bus believed that the bus was in reverse but it was instead in drive. Sources conflict but it is believed that there were only one or two other people on the bus at the time of the crash.
There was also a small fire that Roy said was likely started by an off-gassing battery on the bus. “It’s a hybrid bus. It’s electric and diesel. So we were able to shut everything down and secure that,” said Roy.
The front of the bus was lodged into a wall of the station as far as the driver’s seat, shattering a glass wall. The station has been closed for the day and has disrupted both bus routes around the city and train routes to and from Boston. ”I Guess I’ll tell my boss I won’t be in the office today!” A passerby expressed. The bus was removed around 4 hours after impact at around noon
MRTA warned commuters that “The Intermodal Transit Center will be closed until further notice” all bus routes will be delayed and running late until the transit depot has been cleared, and all busses should be boarded on main street in front of the ITC building or across the street in front of the CVS.