March 11, 2010 – Swansea, Mass. – A local teenager is in serious condition after being struck by a car while he was riding his bicycle Tuesday afternoon in Swansea.
The Herald News reports that Justin Charron, 15, of Somerset, was riding his bike on Bark Street when he collided with a vehicle at about 3:47 p.m. Charron, who was not wearing a bike helmet, was thrown from the bike, landing under a school bus that had 36 students aboard.
Justin Charron suffered head injuries and leg injuries and was immediately transported to Hasbro Children’s Hospital where he is being treated for serious injuries. The teen is a freshman at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School.
Students who witnessed the car accident were visibly upset, according to reports. Teachers and adjustment counselors will provide counseling to students who were traumatized by witnessing the tragic bike accident.
The school bus was leaving Somerset Middle School at the time of the bike crash. Witnesses to the bike accident have said that the car’s driver, Grace Santos, 69, had the right-of-way at the time and authorities have said Charron was using an iPod.
Neither the bus driver, nor Santos, have been charged in the crash. Police continue to investigate the incident.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2008 Massachusetts Crash Statistics, there were 363 fatalities as a result of car accidents in Massachusetts
