WALTHAM, Mass. — Waltham Police said Brandeis University student Vanessa Mark died in a shuttle bus crash that left 27 others injured late Saturday night.
“While Vanessa was currently on leave, she was living in Waltham and was an active and cherished member of the Brandeis community,” Brandeis University President Ron Liebowitz said in a letter to the school community.
The university has canceled classes scheduled for Monday and Tuesday as it mourns the loss of Mark, Liebowitz said.
“This will enable some students to return to family and friends sooner than the normal holiday schedule would have allowed,” Liebowitz said. “For students who will remain on campus, we will have additional opportunities to gather and receive support.”
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan confirmed that the crash involved a shuttle bus that was transporting 27 students from Brandeis University from a hockey game at Northeastern University.
The preliminary investigation suggests that the bus crashed into a tree on South Street at approximately 10:32 p.m. and one student was pronounced dead on the scene. The remaining 26 students and the driver of the bus sustained injuries of varying degrees and were all transported to area hospitals, Ryan said.
Brandeis said in a statement early Sunday that 17 of the injured students had been released from the hospital and the remainder have been admitted for further treatment.
“Given the number of injured people and the different hospitals to which they were transported, it is taking time to determine the status of everyone involved, including which passengers are Brandeis students,” according to a statement on the school’s website.
The roof and side of the bus were shorn off and debris littered the lawn on which the wrecked bus came to rest between two trees. A graphic video sent to Boston 25 News captured several victims of the crash being treated for their injuries.
Brandeis is providing counseling and support to students and will continue to do so over the coming days.
Please reach out to your family & friends. Brandeis Counseling Center: https://www.brandeis.edu/counseling/
Posted by Brandeis University on Sunday, November 20, 2022
The bus was towed away from the scene around 6 a.m. – more than seven hours after the crash happened right near Brandeis University.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation and no charges have been filed.
The Waltham Police urge anyone who may have witnessed this accident or have any information to contact the Waltham Police Department at 781-314-3600.
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