Haverhill Man To Be Charged With Groveland School Bus Hit-And-Run

GROVELAND, MA — A Haverhill man will be charged in connection with a hit-and-run crash involving a school bus in Groveland, police said Wednesday.

Police will seek a criminal summons against the 27-year-old man, who was not identified. He will be charged with:

• "Leaving the Scene of an Accident/Property Damage
• Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle
• Operating After Suspension
• Marked Lanes Violation
• Fail to Stop for a School Bus."

According to the police narrative, shortly before 8 a.m. Tuesday a landscaping truck did not stop behind a school bus that had just stopped at the intersection of Salem Street and Sunset Circle in Groveland.

The truck "drove up onto the sidewalk on the right side of the bus" as the bus was about to pick up two elementary school students, police said.

"A child about to board the bus was pulled by her father out of the way of the truck, he later told police," according to the news release. "The truck sideswiped the rear of the bus and continued driving on the sidewalk before driving away on Salem Street toward Bradford."

Two children were on the bus at the time of the crash. There were no injuries. Once their safety was confirmed, they were taken to school on another bus.

"We were able to swiftly identify the driver of this vehicle thanks to the diligent investigation of Sgt. Steven Petrone, and the support we received from the Haverhill Police Department. This could have been a tragic crash, as a child was just about to get on the bus and had to be pulled out of the way of danger by her father," Chief Jeffrey Gillen said. "We urge drivers to please be extra attentive around school pick up and drop off times and to always stop for a bus making a stop."

Police were able to identify the driver with the help of eyewitnesses, neighborhood home surveillance cameras and traffic camera footage from the Haverhill Police Department.

The traffic camera footage helped identify the Rowley-based company the driver works for, police said. The company cooperated with the police in identifying the employee.

He will be issued a summons to Haverhill District Court, police said.