Massachusetts school bus crashes after driver suffers "life-threatening" medical emergency

A Mashpee, Massachusetts school bus driver crashed into a tree Monday morning after suffering an apparent medical episode while transporting 26 students to school. Police described the bus driver's condition as "life-threatening."

It happened in the area of Old Barnstable Road and Leather Leaf Lane around 8:40 a.m. The Mashpee Police Department said there were 26 students on the bus ranging between 6 and 12 years old.

Mashpee superintendent of schools Michele Conners said that Bus M11 was bringing students to Quashnet Intermediate School and Kenneth C. Coombs School when the crash happened.

The driver was taken to Cape Cod Hospital. One student was also taken to Falmouth Hospital as a precaution.

Photos from the scene show the bus with a cracked windshield after coming to a stop against a tree on the side of the road.

"We are very thankful that no [students were] seriously injured," Conners said. "Our thoughts are with the driver, who has been a valued member of our transportation team, as she receives medical care. I want to thank the police officers, firefighters and emergency medical personnel who responded quickly and helped care for our students."

The crash remains under investigation by the Mashpee Police Department.

The superintendent said that school counselors and support staff are being made available for students who may need to speak with someone after the crash.

Conners did not release any additional details about the medical episode suffered by the bus driver. The driver's name was not released.

Mashpee is located in Barnstable County, Massachusetts on Cape Cod. The town has a population of about 15,000 people.