Driverless School Bus Crash Injures 2 in Mass.

TYNGSBORO, Mass. — A driverless school bus struck and injured two employees of New England Transit Co. as they tried to prevent it from rolling into another bus at the company’s garage, police said.

According to Lt. Richard Howe, police, firefighters and paramedics were dispatched at 3:15 p.m. on Friday to 30 Progress Ave. for a report of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle.

Patrick McMahon and Nicholas Schreid, both 20, suffered non-life threatening injuries in the mishap, Howe said.

The investigation revealed that McMahon had been steering the disabled bus while Schreid was driving a forklift in an attempt to tow it into the garage when the tow chain between the two vehicles let go, sending the disabled bus rolling toward another bus, Howe said.

“It’s unclear whether the chain snapped or just slipped off, but when this occurred, the bus began to roll backward,” said Howe, citing the police report.

McMahon, who was in the bus, jumped out and attempted to put a wedge behind the tires as the bus rolled, and injured his shoulder.

Schreid dismounted from the forklift. While attempting to physically prevent the bus from hitting the second bus, he became pinned between the two vehicles.

Both employees were transported by ambulance to Lowell General Hospital. They were treated and later released, Howe said.