9 Students Hurt When School Bus Crashes Into House In Stamford

UPDATED 03/21/15 12:21 a.m.

STAMFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) - Dozens of students were injured Friday when a school bus crashed into a home in Stamford, Connecticut.

As CBS2's Lou Young reported, it was scary for everyone as the bus carrying 42 students from Turn or River Middle School lurched out of control around 1 p.m. The bus hit a pickup truck, a utility pole, and a house on Vine Road near the school.

It was a straight shot from the road right through the front yard.

"My dog walker was inside the house, and she heard a loud crash, and looked outside, and saw the bus in the front yard," said homeowner Joanne Dorosher. "It was scary for her."

The students had been dismissed early for the snowstorm, along with all other Stamford Public Schools students. Following the crash, they were evacuated from the bus through the rear window, Young reported.

Nine students were taken to Stamford Hospital for bumps and bruises. The building and the bus were banged up.

"The front porch is definitely damaged -- and it looks like the side of the house -- and maybe it pushed a little bit on the foundation," said Dorosher said.

Meanwhile, crews with the power company Eversource shut off electricity to the area as a precaution while they fixed the pole that was damaged, leaving 205 customers without power.

The power was being restored late Friday afternoon.

Police said the accident was not weather-related.

"We've got a driver that reporting mechanical defect. Initial indications here at the scene are that the defect she's described is not relevant to the crash," said Stamford police Sgt. Andrew Gallagher. "We're having the vehicle taken from here to an impound facility where there's a bus inspector from the State of Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles waiting to go over the bus."

Police said early Saturday morning that the accident was determined to have been caused by an accidental brake failure, and the driver will not be charged with any crimes.

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