"A nightmare." That’s how the Superintendent of Vernon Public Schools described the bus crash that sent thirteen students to the hospital Thursday afternoon.
Now she is demanding answers on what happened. Police want answers too, and spent Friday searching through the bus for clues, but they still didn’t know what caused the crash.
More than twenty four hours after the school bus hit a pole and veered off Hartford Turnpike, the Superintendent of Vernon Public Schools still couldn’t believe it.
“Just very disturbing…it’s every Superintendent’s nightmare,” said Mary Cowley.
Dozens of students from Vernon Center Middle School were on board. Thirteen were rushed to the hospital.
“Oh I’m extremely angry, I was expecting a normal bus ride and that's exactly what I didn’t get,” said student Bryan Swarth.
Stacey Beaudry, the woman behind the wheel was put on suspension while police investigate the crash. They said they were looking to see if drugs or alcohol were a factor.
Local
“Absolutely we want to have answers and we will be very transparent when those answers come,” said Superintendent Mary Cowley.
Investigators also want to know if Beaudry fell asleep behind the wheel, because that’s what several students claimed.
On Thursday night, NBC Connecticut went to Beaudry’s home but she wouldn’t comment when we showed up.
“We have nothing to say, go away,” Beaudry said. Her husband talked though, and said she swerved to avoid hitting a car. “She's pretty shaken up she's cried a few times,” Alan Beaudry added.
Beaudry is not an employee with Vernon Public Schools. She was hired by First Student bus company.
NBC Connecticut called that company to find out if she’s had past complaints or problems with her driving record, but no one would answer our questions.
“We don’t know we don’t have any idea,” Cowley said.
She wanted to know too, and what led to this scary ride home.
“If it had hit that pole and had fallen on that side I can’t imagine the injuries that would have occurred to our kids,” Cowley said.
The investigation could take a few weeks to finish up. Stacey Beaudry is suspended pending the outcome.
