4 students taken to hospital after school van crashes into Eat’n Park in Murrysville

MURRYSVILLE, Pa. — A school van with Franklin Regional School District students on board crashed into the Eat’n Park in Murrysville on Thursday morning.

Five students and the driver were in the van at the time of the crash, which happened about 7 a.m. on William Penn Highway.

Three of the students were taken to Forbes Hospital with minor injuries, school officials said. Initially police said four students were transported for treatment. The fifth student was reunited with family members.

“I hit really hard and I was dizzy and woozy and I got taken to the hospital and they checked me out and scanned me,” said Nathan Johns, one of the students in the van.

The driver was not taken to a hospital.

The restaurant reopened for business at 5 p.m. Friday.

Officials said the crash happened as a car in front of the van stopped suddenly. When the driver of the van went to hit the brakes, the gas pedal was accidentally hit instead.

No one inside the restaurant was hurt. The van left behind a large hole in the building.

Eat’n Park Restaurant’s spokesperson Courtney Caprara issued a statement saying:

“Our Eat’n Park restaurant in Murrysville will remain closed temporarily as a result of being struck by a school van earlier this morning. We will reopen when cleared to do so by local safety officials. No team members or guests inside the restaurant were hurt. We wish the students and the van driver a very quick recovery.”

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