Editor's note: Three of the students were taken to the Shoreline Clinic in Westbrook. An earlier version of this post incorrectly reported the students were taken to the Shoreline Clinic in Essex.

Old Lyme — Four Old Lyme elementary school students were taken to the hospital Friday afternoon following a collision between a school bus and a Honda Civic.

The crash occurred at 3:07 p.m. on Route 156 near Mile Creek Road. The car sustained heavy front-end damage. Damage to the bus included what appeared to be a broken driveshaft and an axle knocked off it supports. The bus was positioned sideways in the roadway blocking both lanes.

State police and firefighters from the Old Lyme Fire Department, joined by several mutual aid departments, closed the road and evaluated the condition of the students and the drivers of the two vehicles.

The bus was carrying six students home from the Center School in Old Lyme, according to Fire Marshal David Roberge. Three of the students were taken to the Shoreline Clinic in Westbrook and the fourth was taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital. Their condition was not known late Friday, but Roberge said all the students were conscious and alert at the time they were transported.

Superintendent Ian Neviaser was at the scene of the bus accident but was not immediately available for comment.

Route 156 in the area of the crash remained closed to all traffic for two hours while state police performed an accident reconstruction investigation.

The names and conditions of the drivers of the two vehicles were not available. State police released no information concerning Friday’s crash.

At 3:30 p.m., while emergency personnel attended to the scene of the accident, more than 100 people — including parents, students and former students — attended a scheduled event on the lawn of Center School, located on Lyme Street.

The event, “Celebrate Center,” marked 80 years of the school and its transition next year to house only pre-kindergarten classes and administrative offices. Currently, fifth grade and pre-kindergarten students attend the school.

Staff reporter Kimbery Drelich contributed to this report.

g.smith@theday.com

Twitter: @SmittyDay