Eight Weston Students Injured In Bus Accident [UPDATE]

Update, 3:52 p.m.

, sent a press release today informing parents in Weston about the bus accident which occurred in Westport earlier this morning.

"The safety of your children at all times remains the most critical goal of our district," Palmer said in the release. "In spite of continuous safety reviews in all aspects of our operations, today there was an unfortunate incident with one of our buses on the second tier of transportation." 

"Each family directly impacted by this situation has already been contacted personally by district administration hours ago," she continuted. "I am sending this message to all of our families to share the facts of the situation and to highlight the district’s appreciation for the tremendous response of the Weston and Westport emergency personnel, the safety representatives of First Student, and that of our own team, who were all on the scene within minutes of the call for assistance."

Palmer said she was suprised at the children's demeanor following the accident.

"Any time there is a bus accident of any kind, it can prove very upsetting for the children on board," she said. "When I arrived at the site of the accident this morning, I was struck by the fact that most of our students were in good spirits and asking if they go could go to school. Day in and day out, your children amaze me."

Original article:

Eight Weston students were injured in Westport after their school bus struck a low-hanging tree branch, Westport Police reported.

According to police, of the 36 children on board, eight of them sustained non-life-threatening injuries, such as scrapes, abrasions and minor contusions.

Parents of all eight children, who were contacted by the Weston Board of Education, responded to the scene and refused transportation to the hospital.

The remaining students were transferred to the care of on-scene Weston school officials and were transported to their school on a second Weston school bus which had been brought to the scene.

The Weston Police Department, Weston Fire Department, and Weston Emergency Medical Services were on scene and assisted Westport's first responders.

According to police, the school bus was traveling southbound on Lyons Plains Road when it struck a low hanging branch in the area of Tuck Lane.  On impact, the branch caused three of the school bus windows on the right side of the bus to break, thereby creating flying debris inside the passenger compartment.  

Lyons Plains Road at Riverfield and at Coleytown Roads was closed to traffic for less than one hour. A staging area for the parents was set up at the Unitarian Church at 14 Lyons Plains Road.  

All of the children were released to either their parents or Weston Public School officials after being evaluated by Westport and Weston Emergency Medical Services.