Five children, aged 7 to 8, were injured when a car crashed through a fence separating them from the road while they were playing outside at Child Care Plus Learning Center in Coventry, Rhode Island.
The incident occurred on Monday, Sept. 29, around 4:30 p.m. local time, when an employee driving a white Nissan struck the fence.
Central Coventry Fire Chief Kevin Cady confirmed to PEOPLE that staff quickly ushered all children back inside following the crash. Those who were hurt were taken to the hospital with “non-life-threatening injuries,” he said.
At the time of the accident, approximately 15 children were on the playground, according to WPRI. Charles Psilopoulos, co-owner of the center, told the outlet that the driver, a woman who works at the daycare, had her two children in the car and appeared uninjured.
Psilopoulos called it a “freak accident,” and Cady echoed the sentiment in his statement to PEOPLE, noting, “It appears to be an accident only and possibly caused by a distraction.”
In a follow-up report, Cady added that the driver did not appear to be under the influence and was cooperating with authorities investigating the crash. Most of the children sustained “scrapes” and “bruises” from the fence and playground toys impacted by the collision. No employees were injured.
“That fence, it took a pretty good hit from the car, and the kids were just on the other side of it, unfortunately,” Cady explained. “All is good right now, good news, considering what could have happened with 15 kids in that playground that close to the roadway.”
Photos from WPRI show the white car knocked down a portion of the fence and lost its front bumper, appearing to collide with a black pole outside the parking lot.
Nearby lumber shop owner Justin Czar, who helped install the fence a decade ago, told 7NEWS, “It’s a good thing they hit that pole. Thankfully, it’s not as bad as it could have been, and it looks like the kids will be fine, which is the most important thing here.” WPRI noted that Czar offered to help rebuild the fence.
The identities of the injured children have not been released. Child Care Plus Learning Center planned to reopen on Tuesday, Sept. 30, while keeping the playground closed until repairs are completed.
