Bus returning to Tiverton crashes on Route 24 in Berkley

BERKLEY — Authorities say a school bus carrying adults and children returning to Tiverton from La Salette Shrine went off the road and crashed into the woods in Massachusetts, sending several people to the hospital with injuries.

Massachusetts State Police said two adults suffered serious injuries in Saturday night's crash in Berkley on Route 24 South around 9:45 p.m. They were taken to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence where they remain. Police said the 23 other passengers, ranging in age from infants to elderly adults, were taken to Charlton, Morton, and St. Anne’s Hospitals in neighboring Massachusetts communities for minor injuries or for precautionary reasons.

Police said the driver of another car that went off the road at around the same time was arrested on a charge of drunken driving. Police identified her as 27-year-old Christy Gilpatrick of Warren, Rhode Island. It wasn't immediately clear whether she has an attorney.

Police said it's not yet clear whether the driver's impairment caused the crash.

Massachusetts State Police reported the accident via Twitter confirming the bus was returning from La Salette Shrine, a church in North Attleboro. The shrine's annual Festival of Lights featuring over 300,000 lights and an Outdoor Creche of Bethlehem takes place each evening from late November through early January. Donna Camara, secretary at La Salette Shrine, said on Sunday the people in the bus were at the shrine on Saturday night to see the Festival of Lights.

La Salette Shrine staff posted a message on their website about the crash: "We are saddened by the news of the accident, concerned for the victims and praying for them. We urge all our visitors to drive safely and responsibly."

According to a press release from Berkley Fire Rescue, Berkley Chief Scott Fournier was the first firefighter on scene and declared a mass casualty incident, requesting an Ambulance Task Force under the commonwealth's emergency management protocols.

Multiple agencies responded to the accident scene south of exit 11. Ambulances from Alert Ambulance, Brewster Ambulance, Dighton, Raynham, Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Rehoboth, Freetown, Seekonk, Norton, Mansfield, Westport, North Attleboro, Bridgewater, Lakeville, Middleboro, West Bridgewater, Canton, Avon and Randolph were summoned to the scene. Taunton police and fire and Tiverton fire also responded.

The Tiverton Fire Department dispatched one rescue truck to the scene, but by the time the truck arrived all the patients had already been transported to the hospital, according to Tiverton Fire Department Lt. Andrew Kettle.

In addition to the fire trucks and ambulances, nearly a dozen municipal fire chiefs from around the area responded to assist with command, operations, triage and communications, according to the Berkley Fire release.

"I would just like to thank all the mutual aid departments as well as municipal and state police. Last evening was a total team effort. It is the kind of situation we train for and sit in workshops and prepare for, but you really come to appreciate the value of all that planning when see it unfold before you," Fournier said. "I am also profoundly proud of our emergency responders from the Town of Berkley, including police, dispatch, EMS and fire personnel, who were the first to get the call and arrived on scene during the critical first moments of this emergency."