- A bus carrying 40 students and four adults crashed on Interstate 84 in Orange County, New York on Thursday.
- Two adults were killed in the crash and multiple students were injured, some critically.
- The bus was en route to a music event associated with band camp.
On Thursday, tragedy struck as a commercial bus carrying 40 students from Farmingdale High School and four adults careened down a 50-foot ravine on Interstate 84 in Orange County, New York.
Governor Kathy Hochul, in an evening news conference, reported that two adults lost their lives in the harrowing incident. Lt. Colonel Richard L. Mazzone of the New York State Police provided additional details during the press briefing.
The individuals who tragically lost their lives have been identified as Gina Pellettiere, aged 43, and Beatrice Ferrari, aged 77.
Furthermore, there have been multiple students who sustained injuries, with some in critical condition. Lt. Colonel Mazzone did not delve into specifics regarding the injuries but did mention that the injured parties have been transported to six different area hospitals.
Additionally, an official from the Wawayanda Fire Company had previously informed CNN that more than 40 individuals were injured in the accident.
“Preliminary information indicates a failure of a front tire may have been a contributing factor to this accident,” Mazzone added. A probe into the crash remains ongoing.
The authorities were called to the scene of the crash at approximately 1:12 p.m. on Thursday, as stated by Governor Hochul.
“Imagine the fear, the screams, and the aftermath when these high school students – many of them freshmen – were surrounded by this chaos,” Hochul said.
Assisted by first responders and rescue teams, the students were successfully evacuated from the bus and brought to safety in a swift 45-minute operation, as highlighted by the governor.
The bus was en route to a music event associated with band camp, as confirmed by a spokesperson from the high school. According to the school’s statement, their destination was Greeley, Pennsylvania.
“We were informed that there had been an accident with Bus 1 en route to Greeley, PA for band camp,” Farmingdale High School spokesperson Jake Mendlinger told CNN. “Police and emergency responders are on the scene, as well as district administration.”
The Farmingdale School District released a statement Thursday afternoon, revealing that the bus involved in the accident was part of a group of six buses en route to a band camp event in Pennsylvania.
Aerial images provided by CNN affiliates in the afternoon showed the passenger bus situated within wooded terrain, positioned in the median between the eastbound and westbound lanes of the road.
At the crash site, emergency personnel were present, and a medical helicopter was also seen parked nearby on the highway.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the bus crash and their families,” Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus said in a statement to CNN. “I would also like to thank all of the first responders for their immediate response, service, and dedication.”
I-84 is shut down at exit 15A with detours in place, state police said, adding, “Interstate 84 westbound is expected to be closed for several hours.”
During her news conference, Governor Hochul described Thursday as “a day marked by terror” and expressed that the entire state was in mourning due to this tragic event.
“Certainly, there are families grieving today,” she said. “We have families, we have a school, a school district, a county, and indeed an entire state that is grieving at this time.”
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