Five hospitalized after Montgomery County Ride On bus crashes into pole

A Montgomery County Ride On bus crashed outside Chevy Chase Circle on Sunday morning, injuring five people. (Photo: Montgomery County Fire and Rescue)

Five people were hospitalized with minor injuries Sunday morning after a Montgomery County Ride On bus crashed into a utility pole near the D.C.-Maryland line, officials said.

Authorities said the crash occurred shortly before 8 a.m. on the D.C. side of Western Avenue in Northwest. A photo showed the mangled front end of the bus resting against a utility pole outside Chevy Chase Circle; the bus was on the left side of the road, facing southwest.

A spokeswoman for D.C. Police said the bus collided with another car before crashing into a Pepco utility pole in the 5700 block of Western Ave. NW. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Daniel Ogren said the bus driver lost control or stopped abruptly before the bus slammed into the pole.

Ogren said the passengers taken to the hospital suffered bumps, bruises and other minor injuries; it was unknown if the driver was among them. Six to 10 people were aboard the bus at the time of the crash, Ogren said. Some passengers refused medical treatment, police said.

This post has been updated.