A bus transporting the Fredericton Red Wings of the Maritime Junior Hockey League was struck by another vehicle that fled the scene early Saturday. There were no injuries.
Coach Kyle McAllister said the situation could have been much worse. There were 25 passengers on the bus, including 20 players between the ages of 17 and 20.
“It takes a little bit of time to process,” said McAllister. “It’s one of those things where you count how lucky you are that it wasn’t worse than it was.”
The junior A team was on its way back to Fredericton after a game in Campbellton, N.B., Friday evening.
Quick action by bus driver
McAllister said a car on the opposite side of the two-lane highway swerved into the other lane around 1 a.m.
He said the bus driver noticed and managed to move closer to the shoulder of the road.
But McAllister said the car still scraped along the side of the bus, operated by Maximum Coach. The impact took off a portion of the front bumper and caused the driver’s side mirror to crack the driver’s side window.
The driver of the car didn’t stop, said McAllister.
“I was sitting in the front on my phone,” he said. “It was raining and dark. I didn’t realize what was actually happening.
“It was pretty close. If he [the bus driver] wouldn’t have gotten over it would have been more of a clean contact.”
McAllister said the side mirror only cracked through the first layer of glass.
Second vehicle left the scene
Sgt. Andrew Griffiths said RCMP responded to an incident on Highway 8 between Miramichi and Renous at around 12:30 a.m.
“The second vehicle is unknown, but it had collided with a bus,” he said.
Griffiths said the driver of the other vehicle was not at the scene when police arrived.
He said RCMP are asking for those who may have information about the second vehicle or drive to come forward.
Griffiths said road visibility was poor as it was dark and raining at the time of the accident.
He said damages to the bus are considered minor because it was operational.
A league spokesperson said in a statement that the MHL “is grateful for the quick thinking and actions of the bus driver for the Fredericton Red Wings, who the team credits for avoiding catastrophe as a result of last night’s collision. The MHL is also thankful that no one on board was injured.”
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