Student crashes stolen school bus

New Haven, Conn. (WTNH) - Police say a student at Wilbur Cross High in New Haven stole a school bus this afternoon. She had to be tasered after she crashed the bus into a police cruiser.

Elizabeth Garrett, 18, allegedly stole the bus from the First Student lot on Middletown Avenue just after 4 p.m., but a GPS unit located inside allowed authorities to track it.

Police say they began chasing the bus through the city as it knocked down power poles and forced people to run for their lives. Finally, the pursuit came to a stop when Garrett struck a police cruiser at the intersection of State and Chapel. Police say she was tasered and had to be hospitalized.

"I heard a big boom," said Robert Hine, a witness to the crash.

"I noticed a school bus going fast, at first I didn't get out of the way because I thought it was a normal school bus, but when it came flying, I jumped back and it knocked down all of the poles and the wires came down," explained Manny Miranda.

Police say there were no students on the bus, but a school resource officer driving the cruiser was hospitalized with back and neck injuries.

"I saw somebody driving recklessly, but I thought it was a drunk driver at first or something like that," added Hine.

No word on the exact charges Garrett faces. There is also no word on where Garrett intended to go when she stole the bus.