crash_reports: 22000382

On Monday, May 9, 2022, while assigned to Traffic unit N525, I responded to the area of 25 Berkshire Road, Newton, for a report of an MVA involving a City of Newton owned street sweeper and a City of Newton contracted school bus. The weather at the time of the crash was clear and sunny. The road surface was dry. Berkshire Road is a public way maintained by the City of Newton. The operator of MV1, Mr. Norman Fryar (S20854611), stated he was operating a City of Newton owned 2017 Elgn Pelican street sweeper (MA: MVN M96170) on Berkshire Road. Mr. Fryar stated as he was sweeping the street he was in the Eastbound lane traveling North. Mr. Fryar stated there was a vehicle parked ahead of him and to avoid it he began to change lanes to his left to go around it. Mr. Fryar stated as he was chaning lanes his phone was ringing and as he reached for the phone the driver side of his sweeper crashed into the front passenger side of a passing school bus. Mr. Fryar reported no injuries. I observed damage to the driver side of the sweeper. I spoke with the operator of MV2, Ms. Ana Mendes (S72311538). Ms. Mendes stated she was operating a City of Newton contracted school bus (MA: BU44536) on Berkshire Road with 25 students on board with a final destination of Bigelow Middle School. Ms. Mendes stated she was traveling North on Berkshire Road when she observed a street sweeper in front of her. Ms. Mendes stated she entered the Westbound land of Berkshire Road to go around the street sweeper. Ms. Mendes stated as she was passing the street sweeper, it made an abrupt left turn and it's driver side crashed into the front passenger side door/mirror of the school bus. Ms. Mendes reported no injuries. I observed moderate damage to the passegner side of MV2. After the initial crash, it was reported by both parties that MV1 attempted to back up to allow students to exit the bus through the passenger side door. As MV1 was backing up, it crashed into the middle passenger side of the school bus. There were 25 Bigelow Middle School students on the bus at the time of the crash. Ms. Mendes state she contacted her dispatch for further instructions on what to do with the students. Ms. Mendes stated to Sgt. Wade that the Eastern Bus Company dispatch instructed her to keep the students on the bus and wait for Police and EMS to arrive. Ms. Mendes stated after speaking with her dispatch, another school bus arrived at the scene. The decision was made by Ms. Mendes to have the students exit her school bus and be transported to Bigelow Middle School prior to my arrival. Ms. Mendes was advised in the future to follow the policy set forth by her Eastern Bus Company, the City of Newton, and the Newton Police Department. After clearing Berkshire Road, myself and Sgt. M. Wade responded to the Bigelow Middle School to check on the welfare of the students that were on the bus at the time of the crash. We were greeted by the school's Asssitant Principle Mr. Lucas Mogensen. Mr. Mogensen stated all of the students that were on the bus at the time of the crash were staged on the bus when it arrived at the school. Mr. Mogensen stated the school nurse Ms. Shannon Loughnane evaluated each student as they exited the bus and there were no injuries reported at this time.