A Neshaminy High School sophomore and athlete has been seriously injured in Saturday night's bus accident in Boston, friends said.
Matt Cruz reportedly underwent a second surgery Sunday morning, following one Saturday night, said Allan Brown, 16, who said he has known Cruz since they were in elementary school together.
When Brown first got a call Saturday night about the accident, he said he didn't expect Cruz to be badly hurt.
"After that, I called some friends; they were letting me know that he had serious injuries and was undergoing surgery," Brown said. "This morning I was speaking with someone that was [at the hospital] and he was in another surgery at the moment."
That acquaintance, Brown said, had been knocked unconscious in the accident. Cruz was still unconscious when that friend came to, Brown said, so he stayed with Cruz, talking to him while waiting for help.
Brown declined to detail Cruz's injuries since he was not at the scene. Other friends and classmates on Twitter said that Cruz was being treated for what may have been a substantial neck injury.
Cruz holds sports in high regard, just after family, friends, and school, Brown said. The Boston trip - to visit Harvard University - meant Cruz had to miss a Catholic Youth Organization basketball game, Brown said. Cruz also runs outdoor track at Neshaminy.
"I know he's an amazing track runner, because I used to run track with him and he'd just leave me in the dust," said Brown, who went to school with Cruz for eight years. They now go to different high schools.
Contact Jonathan Lai at 856-779-3220, jlai@phillynews.com, or on Twitter @elaijuh.
