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Minor injuries in Kingsbridge school bus smash-up

Two luxury cars hit bus in front of PS/MS 37

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It looked a lot worse than it was, but luckily there were no serious injuries in an accident involving a school bus and two other cars in front of P.S./M.S. 37.

Details are still sketchy, but the accident took place in front of the 360 W. 230th St., school, more commonly known as Multiple Intelligences School, at around 8:30 a.m., according to police. 

Six people were said to be involved, but all were treated and released, police added, either on the scene, or at Allen Hospital and two other hospitals nearby.

Authorities said three vehicles were involved — including a BMW and a Mercedes, one of which was parked — but it wasn't clear if that total included the bus. Kenneth Petriccione, the school's principal, told The Riverdale Press that four vehicles were involved in total.

He observed one man bleeding, who was carried away on a stretcher into a waiting ambulance.

"We called first responders right away, but my biggest concern was the students," Petriccione said, adding that sturdy concrete pillars in front of the school may very well have saved the day. "Thank God both vehicles hit those concrete pillars, because we had a lot of people on the sidewalk at the time."

Two children were in the parked vehicle, police said, but none were seriously injured. Authorities could not confirm the childen's ages.

The accident could have been much worse, Petriccione said. Just five minutes earlier, the empty school bus would have been filled with students.

"Five minutes earlier, more of my kids are arriving to school, in front of the building, milling around," Petriccione said. "Thank goodness we caught a break in that timing."

He's glad that, for the most part, his students are OK.

"My primary concern is my 640 students and their families," Petriccione said. "My thoughts were how lucky the situation was — even though people were hurt, how much worse it could have been.

"I'm grateful for the pillars and I'm grateful for the first responders, and how quickly we came together to help everyone."

PS 37, MS 37, school bus, Multiple Intelligences School, NYPD, New York Police Department, 50th Precinct, Zak Kostro,

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