School Van Crashes Through Fence, Into Propane Tanks Outside Lexington Home
LEXINGTON (CBS) - Four people went to the hospital and several homes were evacuated after an SUV careened into some outdoor propane tanks behind a home in Lexington Thursday.
Trouble began shortly after 11:30 a.m. when police say a Toyota Camry T-boned a GMC Yukon at the intersection of Lowell and Bryant streets – an impact that Marissa Herman heard from her nearby home.
"And then when I came outside I saw one car had hit the pole, and the SUV had just missed the house across the street by a few feet and gone right through the fence," she said.
The SUV doubles as an Arlington School bus for special needs kids – but none were on board when the accident happened.
In fact, it was running school errands when the accident forced it off the road, through the fence, and into an unoccupied house.
"It was a little shocking," says neighbor Jeannette Cerulli. "Really was."
Both occupants of the car – and both occupants of the SUV – went to the hospital with minor injuries.
But the school vehicle clipped a pair of big propane tanks outside the house – and one was leaking – which triggered the evacuation of several nearby homes.
"I still had my nightgown on," Cerulli told us. "That's kind of unusual but I was lazy this morning."
Some streets were closed, as well.
But the propane leak was sealed within 45 minutes, leaving firefighters thankful the tanks didn't explode.
"It was a unique situation," Assistant Fire Chief Ken Tremblay told WBZ-TV. "Luckily we got it stabilized in short order."
By mid-afternoon, the banged-up school SUV had been pulled out by a wrecker, and the damaged propane tanks had been hauled away – capping off an unsettling day for neighbors.
"It's pretty overwhelming to come out of your house and see an accident like this," says Herman.
As dark fell, repair crews were working on the damaged house – which happens to be empty with a "for sale" sign out front.
Lexington police have not yet outlined any charges stemming from the accident.
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