Driver cited in crash with two trucks, school bus in Taunton, students, driver injured

Massachusetts State Troopers from State Police-Middleborough at 7:55 a.m. today responded to a crash involving a school bus with passengers and two commercial trucks on Route 140 northbound, near Exit 11, in Taunton. The bus, owned by Amaral Bus Company of Westport, was carrying 35 teenage students to Bristol County Agricultural High School. Two students and the bus driver, a 57-year-old Acushnet woman, were transported to Morton Hospital in Taunton with reported minor injuries.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the 2018 International bus was traveling straight in the left lane when a 2014 Isuzu box truck suddenly changed lanes from the right lane to the left lane in front of the bus. The bus struck the rear of the box truck, owned by CTWOS Construction of New Bedford. Neither the driver of the box truck, a 21-year-old New Bedford man, nor the passenger, a 34-year-old New Bedford woman, had apparent injuries.

Investigation further indicates that the box truck changed lanes from right to left to try to avoid striking a 2016 International flatbed truck that, along with other traffic, had stopped ahead of the box truck in the right lane. The traffic in the right lane was stopped as motorists waited to enter the ramp to Route 24. When it swerved to the left, the Isuzu box truck side-swiped the flatbed, owned by Robert Bates, Inc., of Mattapoisett, and driven by a 34-year-old New Bedford man. Neither that driver nor the passenger, a 34-year-old New Bedford man, had apparent injuries.

State Police cited the driver of Isuzu for following too closely and making an unsafe lane change.

The scene was cleared at 9:26 a.m.