`Miracle` at Mass. Day Care: Car Slams Building, No Serious Injuries
April 29--Smoke, debris and children's screams filled a Billerica day care after an out-of-control Subaru Outback slammed into the building yesterday afternoon, trapping a toddler underneath the car -- but miraculously leaving the little boy with non-life-threatening injuries.
"Miracle is the right word, that nobody was killed or seriously injured," Billerica Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Ferraro said about the dramatic 5:25 p.m. crash at A Brighter Rainbow Learning Center on Boston Road.
"I saw an SUV go airborne and crash into the side of the building. It crashed right through, I couldn't believe it," said Kathy Jones, 54, who lives across the street and was outside in her driveway as the dramatic crash unfolded.
"It was like a bang," said 10-year-old Cortney Gibbs, who lives next door. "I heard a bang and it shook. I heard a bunch of kids crying and screaming. It was really scary."
Jones ran across the street to help, and found people were already working to get children safely out.
"I didn't know what I was going to see in there. ... There were people screaming. I didn't know how many children were in there or hurt," Jones said. "It was all smoke and glass and all you could hear were people screaming. Some man passed me a child, a little girl. I handed her to another person.
"It was a miracle no one was killed. It was an absolute miracle," Jones said. "Thank God it was a nice day out. If it was raining, they all would have been inside and the potential for tragedy was too much."
Police said the toddler, a boy under 2 years old, was conscious and talking when rescuers got to him. He was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver, a 38-year-old Billerica woman who is believed to have suffered a medical episode that triggered the accident, also was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Two other children were treated for minor injuries at the scene.
Police Deputy Chief Roy Frost said the Subaru driver was northbound on Boston Road when she lost control and hit several cars parked at a shopping plaza.
"She then drove up onto the curb, struck a fence and then crashed into the side of the learning center. The vehicle crashed through the wall of the building and into the main childcare area. Four children were inside at the time, and at least three other children were in the outside play area," Frost said in a statement. "One of the children inside, the male toddler, was struck and pinned under the vehicle. The boy was alert and conscious upon ambulance's arrival."
Ferraro said his first firefighters on the scene, when they saw the car inside the building, "were shocked. It took a second. But you take that deep breath and do your job. We all have kids. Your emotions get a little high when you see that stuff."
He said the four teachers at the school, two inside and two outside, rushed into action, did a head count of the children and moved them them away from the wreckage.
"A lot of credit should go to the teachers for their awesome work in a crisis situation," Ferraro said.
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