RANDOLPH — Police Chief William Pace and Fire Chief Richard F. Donovan report that the Randolph Police and Fire Departments responded to a crash after a passenger allegedly punched a bus driver on North Main Street, causing the bus to rear-end a car.
At approximately 7:15 p.m., the Randolph Police and Fire departments responded to a report of a crash at North Main Street (Rt. 28) and Grove Street. After an initial investigation, police found that a passenger of the Boston Area Transit (BAT) bus, MATTHEW YOUNG, 24, OF BOSTON, had allegedly assaulted the bus driver after the driver, a 48-year-old Brockton man, did not let the man get off the bus. BAT buses operate on fixed stop routes, and the bus driver was not able to let the man off the bus at his desired stop.
YOUNG was charged with:
- Wrongful Interference of Operation of Vehicle Carrying Passengers for Hire for a Felony
- Assault and Battery on a Bus Driver
- Assault and Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury
After YOUNG allegedly attacked the bus driver, the bus rear-ended a car and then the bus struck a telephone pole.
A total of 16 people were transported to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries following the crash. Randolph Police declared the crash a mass casualty incident as a result of the number of injuries.
Both the operator of the car that was struck by the bus, a 50-year-old Randolph woman, and her passenger, a 61-year-old Randolph woman, were among those transported to area hospitals. The driver of the bus was also among those injured, along with a 10-year-old Randolph boy who was riding the bus at the time of the crash.
“This attack on the driver made for a very dangerous situation for riders on the bus and anyone traveling in the immediate area,” Chief Pace said. “Officers on scene were able to take the suspect into custody quickly.”
Mutual aid was provided by the Stoughton, Avon and Holbrook Fire Departments.
“Our firefighters and police responded to this incident swiftly, and as a result we were able to transport the victims of this incident to area hospitals in a timely, effective manner,” Chief Donovan said. “We’re fortunate to have such a great working partnership between our police and fire departments, and I’d also like to thank all those who responded as mutual aid in this incident.”
Randolph Police are still investigating this incident. YOUNG is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday at Quincy District Court.
North Main Street was temporarily closed for approximately one hour while Police and Firefighters responded to the crash.
These are allegations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
###