Officials say three students were injured after being hit by a bus in Gardner

Three Mount Wachusett Community College students were taken to the hospital after they were hit by a bus Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The collision occurred around 7:50 a.m. in Lot B of the Garnder campus when a Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART) bus attempted to turn near a bus stop, the university said in a statement.

Three students were evaluated at the scene and taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the university said. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

The university said it is making counselors available to community members who need support after the disaster.

“We know that such events are traumatic – especially for those directly involved or witnessing the event,” the statement reads.

Gardner Police Chief Eric McAvene said officers responded to the scene to assist campus police.

In a statement, MART said it was cooperating with police to “obtain all information necessary to investigate the accident.”

“Three students, as we know, were injured in the accident and our only concern is their full recovery,” the transit authority said in a statement.

The crash in Gardner follows another incident involving a MART bus earlier this month.

November 14 MART bus crashes into Fitchburg bus stationinjuring a 65-year-old man who was crushed under the bus. According to the Fitchburg Fire Department at the time, the man was taken to a trauma center and his condition was described as “critical.” Information on his condition was not immediately available Wednesday.

Nick Stoico can be reached at [email protected].