Five Ambulances Respond To Suffield Crash

SUFFIELD, CT — Ten students and their driver were taken to hospitals for evaluation of minor injuries after a school bus went off South Grand Street and hit a building Thursday morning, officials said.

Fifteen people, including the driver, were aboard the small bus from Regional School District 12, according to the Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Association.

Suffield police responded to the area of 425 South Grand St. at about 9:49 a.m. Oct. 1. Their initial investigation found that the bus was traveling north toward Mountain Road when it went off the right side of the road and struck the building.

“The people riding on the bus reported only minor injuries,” police said in a news release provided to Patch.

Ambulance crews checked those aboard and consulted with Region 12 school staff who came to the scene before taking 10 students and the driver to hospitals, the ambulance association said in a Thursday statement.

Police said the 11 patients were taken to two local hospitals. Neither agency identified the hospitals or provided the students’ ages.

SVAA Chief of Service John Spencer oversaw medical care and worked with Police Chief Canon and Fire Chief Gauthier to coordinate the response.

The ambulance association sent three ambulances staffed by paramedics. Enfield EMS and Windsor Locks Lions Club Ambulance each sent an additional ambulance to help.

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The ambulance association also disputed reports circulating online that the crash had been declared a mass casualty or multi-casualty incident.

“It was not,” the association said.

That designation generally means the number of patients or the seriousness of their injuries exceeds the help immediately available, SVAA explained.

“While this morning’s response required additional resources and significant coordination, the needs of the incident were successfully managed through our normal mutual-aid system,” the association said.

North Central CMED helped coordinate ambulances and hospital transports and contacted receiving hospitals to confirm they could accommodate the patients.

That coordination allowed responders to use fewer hospitals and keep students together whenever possible, making arrangements easier for school staff and families, according to SVAA.

“We are grateful to all of our partners who responded quickly and worked collaboratively to ensure that every patient was appropriately evaluated and cared for,” the association said.

Region 12 school staff assisted students at the scene, according to both agencies. The district is located in the Shepaug Valley.

Police interviewed those involved, and the crash remains under investigation. The police release did not explain what caused the bus to leave the road.

South Grand Street has reopened, police said.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information from the Suffield Volunteer Ambulance Association.

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