A routine afternoon bus ride turned frightening on Tuesday when a school bus carrying roughly a dozen children crashed into Hamline University's Robbins Science Center near Hewitt and Snelling avenues. The impact injured several people and prompted a temporary campus closure, though officials said the injuries appeared to be minor.
St. Paul police told Pioneer Press that officers were called to the scene shortly after 2 p.m. About a dozen children were on the bus, and police spokesperson Nikki Muehlhausen said three of them were taken to Children's Hospital for evaluation. The driver was taken to Regions Hospital, according to the report.
Video Shows Bus Embedded in Hamline Science Building
Helicopter footage from FOX 9 showed the bus lodged into the north side of the Robbins Science Center, nose-first into the building. Crews checked the structure to ensure no one inside had been injured.
FOX 9 reported that an alert on Hamline's website announced the university had closed the campus as of 3:15 p.m. and asked people to avoid the area. Hamline's emergency information page lists the Robbins Science Center and details shelter locations for that building.
Bus Route and Students' School
The bus was reportedly coming from Higher Ground Academy campuses on Brewster Street and Marshall Avenue, according to Pioneer Press. Higher Ground Academy's website lists campuses on Marshall and Brewster. As of Tuesday evening, the school had not issued a public statement.
Investigation Underway
St. Paul police said it is not yet clear what caused the bus to leave the roadway and strike the building. Investigators were on scene working to determine the cause, FOX 9 reported. Officials asked anyone with video or information to contact authorities as the university and public safety teams secured the area.
