Bus rolled down a snow-covered hill ,no one was injured in crash

Members of the Bowdoin College men’s ice hockey team were having lunch Wednesday at Canale’s Restaurant in Oswego, N.Y., when their parked charter bus rolled down a snow-covered hill and struck an awning over the restaurant’s main entrance.

No one was injured including the driver, who was in the restaurant. Damage to the restaurant was confined to the awning and front steps.

“No one was on the bus,” said Scott Hood, a spokesman for the Brunswick-based college. “All the team members were eating inside the restaurant.”

Hood said the bus, which is owned by Northeast Charter & Tour Co. of Lewiston, had been parked on a hill near the restaurant while hockey players grabbed a bite to eat. The hockey team traveled to upstate New York to play a first-round Division III tournament hockey game with Oswego State.

Wednesday night’s game had to be postponed due to extreme weather conditions. Hood said the region is experiencing blizzard conditions.

The National Weather Service issued a blizzard warning for the Oswego region and encouraged people not to travel. The storm is expected to dump six inches of snow and wind speeds could exceed 40 mph.

If Bowdoin defeats Oswego State it will advance to the next round of the tournament, which will be played at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass.

Hood said the Division III semifinals and finals will be hosted by Bowdoin College at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston on March 21 and March 22.

Bowdoin is scheduled to play Oswego State on Thursday at 3 p.m.