The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
LAWRENCE, Mass. — Twenty-one people, many of them young children, were transported to area hospitals after a dump truck, pickup truck and school bus collided on North Broadway Thursday morning, authorities said.
The dump truck’s front end was still pressed against the crumpled rear of a totaled Nissan Frontier about 11:30 a.m. as multiple ambulance crews worked to load up kids and adults involved in the accident near the Granfanallys Pizza Pub.
One boy on a stretcher was seen being placed in an ambulance while wearing a neck brace.
In total, authorities said 17 children were transported to Lawrence General Hospital in Lawrence, Mass. Four adults, including the drivers of the pickup and school bus and chaperones, were taken Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, Mass. The dump truck’s driver was uninjured.
Salem Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Emanuelson said there were 43 people on the North Reading Transportation school bus, which operates in the Lawrence, Methuen and Andover, Mass. school districts.
After a 911 call at 10:13 a.m. Thursday, Emanuelson said a level-two mass casualty event was declared to free up the resources needed to address such a large number of potentially injured people.
A triage area was set up at a vacant car dealership at 360 N. Broadway. Ambulance companies from Salem, Londonderry, Hampstead, and Lawrence General Hospital helped transport patients.
Deputy Police Chief Joel Dolan said police responded to the scene with command staff, patrol officers and detectives. Two detectives were sent to Lawrence General to assist with reuniting children with concerned parents and guardians.
“Our first order of business was to make the scene safe and to treat the patients,” Dolan said.
A second school bus was brought to the scene to transport the children who did not require medical attention. The fire department cleared the accident scene about 12:20 p.m.
The dump truck involved is owned by A.E. Gidley LLC.
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©2019 The New Hampshire Union Leader (Manchester, N.H.)