School Bus, Car Crash Sends 3 To Hospital With Minor Injuries: PD

GROTON, CT — A school bus carrying 36 students bound for Fitch High School early Tuesday morning struck the rear of a car on Newtown Road, police said.

One student and the two in the car were taken to the hospital for treatment of "minor injuries," police said.

The bus driver was issued a warning for failing to drive a reasonable distance apart, according to Groton Town police Captain Gregory J. McCarthy.

According to McCarthy, at 7:25 a.m. officers were called to the area of Route 117 (Newtown Road) and the intersection of Route 1 (Fort Hill Road) for a report of crash involving a school bus and one car and found that a Student Transportation of America school bus was traveling southbound on Newtown Road approaching the intersection of Fort Hill Road as a Honda Civic was also traveling southbound on Newtown Road ahead of the school bus, police said. Both vehicles began their turns onto Fort Hill Road eastbound when the Honda was struck from behind by the school bus, which police said was "traveling too close to the Honda," McCarthy noted in a news release, adding that the car was also enroute to the high school.

Emergency responders helped those on the bus and in the car —a mother and her son — police said. A Fitch administrator and the School Resource Officer were also on the scene, McCarthy said, and contacted parents. The bus was able to "continue on" to the high school.

Citizens who may have witnessed any part of this incident are urged to contact the Groton Police Department at (860)441-6712.