GROVELAND — Chief Jeffrey T. Gillen reports the Groveland Police Department will seek a criminal summons against a local man following a hit-and-run crash involving a school bus on Tuesday.
A 27-YEAR-OLD MAN OF HAVERHILL will be charged with:
- Leaving the Scene of an Accident/Property Damage
- Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Operating After Suspension
- Marked Lanes Violation
- Fail to Stop for a School Bus
“We were able to swiftly identify the driver of this vehicle thanks to the diligent investigation of Sgt. Steven Petrone, and the support we received from the Haverhill Police Department. This could have been a tragic crash, as a child was just about to get on the bus and had to be pulled out of the way of danger by her father,” Chief Gillen said. “We urge drivers to please be extra attentive around school pick up and drop off times and to always stop for a bus making a stop.”
Yesterday at 7:54 a.m., Groveland Police responded to the intersection of Salem Street and Sunset Circle for a report of a hit-and-run crash involving a school bus.
Upon arrival police learned the bus had just stopped and was about to pick up two elementary school students when a landscaping truck allegedly did not stop behind the bus and drove up onto the sidewalk on the right side of the bus.
A child about to board the bus was pulled by her father out of the way of the truck, he later told police.
Police learned that the truck sideswiped the rear of the bus and continued driving on the sidewalk before driving away on Salem Street toward Bradford.
Two elementary school-aged children were also on the bus at the time of the crash. There were no injuries.
After it was confirmed by first responders and parents and guardians that the children at the scene were not injured they were taken by another bus to the Dr. Elmer S. Bagnall Elementary School.
Groveland Police were able to identify the driver of the truck with the assistance of eyewitnesses, neighborhood home surveillance cameras, and the Haverhill Police Department, who provided traffic camera footage ultimately helping Groveland Police identify the Rowley based landscaping company for which the driver works. The company cooperated fully with police in identifying the employee.
The MAN, OF HAVERHILL, will be summonsed to Haverhill District Court at a later date for a Clerk Magistrate’s hearing.
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