Chalk this one up under crazy accidents brought on by stupid ideas. A coach bus full of high school students traveling from Harvard to Pennsylvania Saturday night had its roof torn off as its driver tried to duck a low bridge in Boston, injuring 34 people, some severely.
According to the Boston Globe, the crash happened happened around 7:34 p.m. as the bus of students and chapparones were going home after doing a school tour at Harvard. The bus driver tried to drive under the Western Avenue Bridge on Soldiers Field Road when the top of the bus smacked into the bridge and essentially shaved the top of the bus off.
Of the 42 passengers, 34 were injured and 4 immediately taken to area medical centers. One person had "life-threatening injuries" according to authorities.
After fire officials got the passengers off of the bus and an investigation was done into the accident, a heavy duty tow truck was used to lift the bus off the highway, over the guardrails and onto a side road. Later, they decided to call a second tow truck in to lift the broken bus.
State officials could cite the bus driver, according to the Globe, because there was no reason the bus was allowed to be on that road given the height restrictions.
Boston Fire Department tweeted a ton of photos showing how they rescued passengers through where the bus' roof used to be. Seriously, some awesome pictures of your rescue, guys.
Update: The Globe reported the road was finally reopened Sunday morning, after crews worked through the night to clear the accident. The passengers were part of the Destined for a Dream Foundation, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit supporting underprivileged and disadvantaged children.