Riverhead Central school bus rear-ended in Riverside, cops say

Six children from the Riverhead Charter School and the driver of their school bus suffered minor injuries when the bus was rear-ended by a box truck in Riverside on Monday afternoon, Riverhead Central School District officials said.

The 42-year-old driver of the box truck was airlifted by Suffolk County police to Stony Brook University Hospital and was listed in stable condition, Town of Southampton police said.

The bus, which is owned by the school district and was carrying a total of 32 children, was traveling on Flanders Road near Old Quogue Road at about 4:15 p.m. when it was rear-ended by the truck, town police said. The school bus driver and the children were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, police said.

The box truck was impounded by town police for a safety check.

Riverhead Central School Superintendent Augustine E. Tornatore said in a statement, "Our thoughts are with the students and those who were hurt."