NORWOOD, MASS. (WHDH) - A daycare in Norwood is closed and being inspected for structural damage after a car crashed through the front door Friday morning, according to Norwood Fire officials.
Norwood Fire said they responded to the BrightPath Norwood Child Care Center on Providence Highway (Route 1) for a report of a motor vehicle accident just before 9 a.m. When crews arrived, they found a vehicle had driven into the front of the building and caused “moderate structural damage.”
Norwood police said the driver of the Jeep forgot to put the car in park, and when it started to roll forward, they made an attempt to hit the brake, but accidentally hit the gas instead.
The owner of a boxing club next door said he saw the aftermath of the crash, and it appeared the driver was a parent dropping a child off at the daycare.
“It seems like the gentleman, maybe, it might not have been in park, or something like that,” said Rob Reilly, Owner of Title Boxing Club. “Scrambling with a couple of kids, it went right through the front window.”
Reilly said the daycare staff handled the situation well, and Norwood police and fire crews answered the call quickly.
“The kids were away from the windows, the kids were off to the side. I’m sure it was a little scary for the kids, but like I said, their staff does a great job and everyone was here making sure the kids were in good hands,” he said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for BrightPath told 7NEWS, “There were no reported injuries to children, families, staff, or the driver. The children that were near the incident were immediately and safely evacuated from the building and all families were quickly notified.”
A woman who coordinates early childhood programming at the Norwood Library said this is a very scary situation for parents, and she believes staffers at BrightPath responded appropriately.
“We just had BrightPath come to our early childhood fair that we had this past Saturday, just from the representation there, I could tell that the providers were responsive, so I can only imagine that they did everything to reassure families that the children were safe. I’m glad to hear no one was hurt,” said Liz Hogrell, Early Childhood Programming Coordinator at the Norwood Library.
Norwood Fire said the Building Inspector was requested to the scene to evaluate the integrity of the structure, and they elected to shut the building down until further evaluation can be made.
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