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Roof Ripped Off MBTA Bus In Westwood Crash

WESTWOOD (CBS) - An MBTA bus crash caused an evacuation in a Westwood neighborhood on Saturday.

The roof of the bus was ripped off when the driver tried to maneuver underneath a bridge. The accident ruptured the natural gas pipe that powered the bus, released thousands of pounds of gas into the air.

Fortunately, the bus driver was the only person on board.

As a precaution, firefighters and police had to evacuate everyone within a 1,000 feet of the crash.

"Because the top was ripped off and gas was leaking from the top, the cop came by and asked us all to evacuate," said Steve Murphy, a neighbor.

"There was a lot of potential for disaster. We're talking between two and four thousand pounds of natural gas up there, so very fortunate the leak as we said was small and controlled," said Lt. Robert Velluzzi of the Westwood Fire Department.

Firefighters allowed the natural gas to slowly leak off into the atmosphere.

No injuries were reported.

The driver has not been charged, but the accident is still under investigation.

Even though there are warning signs, Saturday's incident was not the first time someone hit the bridge. Most commercial vehicles won't clear the bridge, but for some reason, some drivers miss the warning sign.

Some say accidents happen there on a "weekly basis."

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