Yesterday, chaos erupted at a Foxborough YMCA where a van plowed into the building, injuring four children. The vehicle slammed into the daycare section of the YMCA located at 67 Mechanic Street, around 4:30 p.m, sending shards of glass and debris flying, according to Boston 25 News.
The impact left the youngsters, all under five years old, with non-life-threatening injuries, prompting their transport to local hospitals for care. According to NBC Boston, most injuries were from flying broken glass, not serious traumatic injuries. The scene, swarmed by first responders, saw a collective effort by police and fire departments to manage the immediate aftermath and ensure safety. The building commissioner was also on site to assess the structural integrity of the YMCA.
Police have not yet released the ages or genders of the injured children, but the incident has left the community shaken. The driver of the van, an employee of Amego Inc., an organization supporting individuals with developmental disabilities, remained at the scene to cooperate with investigators, officials said. "I'm very happy that our client and our employee are both OK right now," John Randall, Amego's president and CEO, told WCVB.
The Foxborough and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the crash, working to unravel how the van came to crash into a place brimming with children and caretakers. Early reports don't suggest the act was intentional. The van, reportedly not owned by the YMCA, is believed to be from an outside vendor, remarked Foxborough's police Chief Michael Grace. Despite the chaos, a stroke of providence may have limited the harm; a bollard, struck by the van before it breached the wall, "likely saved lives" said Jim Downs, CEO of the Hockomock Area YMCA, an observation echoed in the community by relief and a determined spirit to endure.
In a bid for normalcy and recovery, the Hockomock Area YMCA announced on their facebook page that it would reopen early Wednesday, crediting confirmation from officials regarding the structure's integrity – a testament, perhaps, to the resolve to rebuild and return to routine amidst trials.
