Philadelphia

Bat-Wielding Women Break Glass of School Bus, Hurt Child in Apparent Road Rage: Police

UPDATE: Philadelphia Police said they recovered the SUV used in the attack.


An irate group of women, armed with mace and a baseball bat, went after a school bus full of children along the Roosevelt Boulevard in Northeast Philadelphia Thursday afternoon, leaving a teenage student cut up from broken glass, police say.

“For someone to get out of a vehicle and use a baseball bat and break a window of a yellow school bus knowing that it’s full of students – that’s pretty bizarre,” said Philadelphia Chief Inspector Scott Small.

The apparent road rage incident occurred around 3 p.m. when the bus stopped for a red light in the southbound lanes of the Boulevard (U.S. Route 1) near Levick Street, according to Philadelphia Police.

An initial investigation revealed that a group of 14- and 15-year-olds -- 21 students in total -- on the bus began yelling at a Chevrolet Tahoe full of women.

“There was some verbal argument between the students on the bus as well as four occupants of the Chevy Tahoe,” said Small.

The women became angry and pulled their green SUV in front of the bus, blocking its path, said police.

Two women then got out of the SUV and began attacking the outside of the bus using a baseball bat and mace, said investigators. During the attack the women sprayed mace onto the front of the bus and broke the window directly behind the bus driver, sending broken glass onto a student who injured his wrists. Police said that student is expected to be OK.

The unidentified driver of the Tahoe and her passenger got back into her vehicle and drove off down Horrocks Street, said investigators.

Police said there was no indication the women also tried to board the bus.

The bus stopped a short time later across the street from Gilbert Pruance Elementary School at Horrocks and Hellerman streets. The school nurse then treated the injured student and sent him on his way.

It wasn't clear what school the students attend, but they apparently don't attend school in Philadelphia.

Investigators continued to search for the Tahoe and its driver Thursday evening. It wasn't clear if the on-board bus video were operational at the time of the attack.

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