Van Crashes into YMCA Day Care Center, Injuring Four Children
A frightening incident occurred at the Hockomock Area YMCA in Foxborough, Massachusetts on Tuesday when a van crashed into the building, injuring four of the five children who were at a day care center inside.
Foxborough police Chief Michael Grace reported that at about 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the department received multiple 911 calls reporting the crash at 67 Mechanic St., the Invensys Foxborough Branch of the Hockomock Area YMCA.
Foxborough fire Chief Michael Kelleher stated that the injured children, all under the age of 5, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, most of which were soft-tissue injuries caused by broken glass. The four injured children were transported to area hospitals, with one of them being taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island, for more serious injuries.
“The staff were fantastic. Working in the Y, there were a lot of high schoolers and young college girls who were on scene helping with the kids,” Grace said.
The van that crashed into the building had two people inside, including the driver, both of whom were unharmed.
It took emergency crews hours to remove the van from the building due to the fact that the vehicle struck a bollard before crashing through the wall and into the day care center. Jim Downs, chief executive officer of the Hockomock Area YMCA, praised the bollard for likely saving lives in the incident.
Investigators with the Massachusetts State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Section are assisting the Foxborough Police Department with the crash investigation. The driver of the van is cooperating with investigators.
The crashed van is not owned by the YMCA and appears to belong to an outside vendor that may transport children to the location. Foxborough’s building commissioner also responded to the scene to check the safety of the building.
As a result of the incident, the Foxborough location of the Hockomock Area YMCA was closed for the remainder of Tuesday, with plans to reopen at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday. The YMCA confirmed that the structural integrity of the rest of the building outside of the day care center was deemed safe for resuming services to members on Wednesday.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation as authorities work to determine the circumstances that led to this frightening incident.