School Bus Crashes Into Front Of Norwood Restaurant, Injuring One

NORWOOD, MA - A school bus careened up the front stairs of a Norwood restaurant and smashed into the front door not long after closing time Saturday night, injuring one person.

Emergency crews responded to the crash at 10:21 p.m. Saturday night at The Chateau, an Italian restaurant located at 404 Boston-Providence Hwy., shortly after the restaurant and bar closed.

The bus driver was the only person on board the bus at the time. According to news reports, Norwood police said the school bus had dropped off passengers at a nearby hotel minutes before the accident.

The driver of another car suffered minor injuries, according to Norwood police, but neither the bus driver nor people inside the building were hurt. According to a Norwood Fire Department Facebook post, emergency responders attended to the drivers of both vehicles, transporting one from the scene. Firefighters stabilized the school bus and contained a fluid leak before evacuating the building and securing the utilities.

Authorities remained on the scene Saturday night for about an hour awaiting the building inspector. The building inspector and the property owners were expected to be on the property Sunday to assess the damage.

According to a WCVB newscast, work began to repair the building on Sunday morning, as the restaurant had been scheduled to host two functions on Monday. One person was on the patio at the time of the crash, according to one of the owners Sunday morning referenced in the report.

It is unclear at this time when the restaurant will be able to reopen.

Norwood police said the cause of the crash is under investigation and that they are seeking surveillance video.