Crime & Safety

UPDATED: Bus Accident Closes Portion Of Quince Orchard Road

Quince Orchard Road was closed in both directions Friday afternoon after a bus struck a utility pole at the Bank Street intersection.

UPDATED, 6:36 p.m.: Quince Orchard Road was closed in both directions Friday afternoon after a school bus struck a Pepco utility poll at the Bank Street intersection, Montgomery County Police Chief Paul Starks said.

No one was injured in the collision—which occurred shortly after noon—and no passengers were on the bus, Starks said.

Quince Orchard Road is closed from Clopper Road (Rt. 117) to Quince Orchard Boulevard, Gaithersburg Police spokesperson Dan Lane said, adding he anticipates the road won't reopen until at least 4 p.m.

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Pepco spokesperson Bob Hainey said approximately 400 customers lost power at the time of the incident. Power was restored for most of those customers after two hours, Hainey said.

Hainey originally told Patch no customers were affected by the incident.

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The bus involved in the crash was donated by Montgomery County Public Schools to Montgomery College for use in its commercial driver's license training program, MCPS spokesperson Dana Tofig told Patch in an email.

The driver of the bus was an instructor for the training program, Montgomery College Director of Communications Elizabeth Homan said. The instructor was moving the bus from the training lot near Clopper Road and First Field Road to a storage lot on MC's Germantown Campus.

Montgomery College officials are still investigating the incident, Homan said.

Check back with Gaithersburg Patch as more information becomes available. 


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