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Bus plows into Soldiers Field Road underpass; 33 hurt, one with life-threatening injuries

Firefighters on crushed bus

This is where it stops being funny. Photo by BFD.

Firefighters and EMTs are on Soldiers Field Road near the Genzyme plant trying to get people out of a bus that was too tall for the Western Avenue underpass it tried to traverse inbound around 7:30 p.m. State Police said the bus was "overheight."

The road is shut in both directions as firefighters and EMTs set up a triage area and order more backboards. Boston EMS says 32 passengers were injured; three of them critically. One of those had head trauma and required help breathing.

An hour later, two passengers were still trapped in the rear of the bus; not long after, firefighters got one of them out. The final passenger was extricated shortly before 9 p.m.

The Boston Fire Department reports the bus had just left Harvard on its way to Pennsylvania with 42 people on board, from a non-profit group's day trip to Harvard and Harvard Square. Federal records show Calvary Coach is a small charter company based in Philadelphia - with just two buses.

State Police say the road will remain shut for much of the night both for an investigation into the accident and for removing the bus.

More photos by Scott Eisen.

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Comments

Just based on the timing, you have to wonder if it was a sports team heading back home from a competition at Harvard. I have a suspicion based on a quick look at the schedule of events at Harvard today, but I'll save the idle speculation for another time.

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The Globe reports passengers were kids on a tour of Harvard and their chaperones.

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Several news outlets reporting that the students were from the "Destined for a Dream" program in Bristol, PA.

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Looks like the driver missed the ramp that takes you to the Mass Pike entrance, stayed on the main roadway and plowed into the overpass -- terrible occurrence, hope everyone recovers from their injuries.

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To hit the Western Avenue underpass heading inbound, you'd have to get on SFR back at North Harvard Street, or be on SFR already. Both locations have good warning signage:
http://goo.gl/maps/u1cvX
http://goo.gl/maps/013I3

Unless the signage was missing because of the construction.

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The way the bus was going, he missed the turn off of Soldiers field road that would have taken him to I-90. That being said he should never have been on that road anyway as he would have had to HIT this sign in order to get on the road to begin with.

http://goo.gl/maps/Gx0a4

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I, too hope everybody recovers from their injuries, especially the person with the most severe injuries.

What is going on with people who needlessly plow into overpasses that're too low for their vehicles to pass under?

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I'm surprised they only have two buses - I see them frequently on Mass Ave.

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They only have one bus now!

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