What you should know
Tragedy struck New York state Thursday after two women were killed and dozens of students were injured when a bus carrying band members from Long Island’s Farmingdale High School overturned on a highway. of Orange County, New York, authorities said. Federal NTSB investigators arrived at the scene Friday morning to examine the remains and are expected to hold a news conference Friday afternoon. Gina Pellettiere, 43-year-old Massapequa and 77-year-old Beatrice Ferrari of Farmingdale were identified as the victims who died in the crash. Pellettiere, a high school music teacher, was in charge of the student band, and Ferrari had previously retired after decades of teaching.
NEW YORK — State and federal officials in New York are continuing their investigation into a charter bus rollover crash Thursday that killed two teachers and sent dozens of high school band students to the hospital.
The crash occurred shortly after 1 pm Thursday on I-84 near the Orange County town of Wawayanda, about 45 miles northwest of New York City. Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a news conference that it was “likely that a defective front tire contributed to the crash, although this is still under investigation.”
Federal investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board began examining the wreckage on Friday.
“Our goal is to find out what happened, why it happened, and make safety recommendations to reduce the chance that this type of accident will never happen again,” National Transportation Safety Board investigator John Humm said in a statement. news conference Friday in Middletown.
According to the governor and state investigators, 40 students and four adults were on board when the bus fell down a 50-foot ravine.
Yaimeé Bell informs us.
Gina Pellettiere, 43, of Massapequa, and Beatrice Ferrari, 77, of Farmingdale, were identified as the victims who died in the crash. Pellettiere, a high school music teacher, was in charge of the student band, and Ferrari was a retired teacher.
Flags will fly at half-staff in Nassau County starting Saturday night in memory of Pellettiere and Ferrari, according to County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
“They were amazing people,” said Mia Hayes, a junior at Farmingdale High School. “She was a great light for the school and I feel a tremendous loss for all of us.”
The bus was one of six in a caravan carrying the marching band, color guard and dancers from Farmingdale High School on Long Island on a beloved annual trip to a camp in Greeley, in northeastern Pennsylvania. The bus crashed about 30 miles from Camp Pine Forest, where the students were headed.
Eighteen people — 16 students and two adults — remained hospitalized as of noon Friday, according to Blakeman.
Grief counselors were present at the school on Friday and will be there for the next week to help students and school staff deal with the loss and trauma of the accident. A monument was installed outside the school and continues to grow.
The bus involved in the crash was chartered by Regency Transportation and new to the company’s fleet, according to the state Department of Transportation. The state agency said the bus was inspected in August when it was purchased by Regency and passed its semiannual inspection. The bus also underwent four random inspections over the past two years and passed each inspection, according to the New York State Department of Transportation.
Here is the press conference.
Humm said investigators have not yet spoken to the bus driver, but they plan to do so.
Company representatives did not respond to requests for comment.
Hochul said the bus fell 50 feet down the steep grade into a wide median between the eastbound and westbound lanes of the highway. The bus was left on its left side, with the roof sagging. A ladder allowed rescuers to reach the windows.
Regency Transportation buses have failed seven routine semi-annual inspections over the past two years, the New York State Department of Transportation said. Most of the problems found in those inspections were related to the braking systems and the buses were removed from service until the problems were fixed, the DOT said.
The driver behind the wheel, according to the state DOT, had the proper license.
Federal investigators have not yet spoken to the driver, but plan to speak with her, said John Humm of the NTSB.
Humm said he and his team expect to be on site for up to a week.
State police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash to call Troop F headquarters at 845-344-5300. Investigators are also asking the public to check to see if they have dash cam videos that captured the crash.
Many of the 40 students on the bus were freshmen, Hochul said. “They held on. They were strong,” he said.
Students on the other buses returned to Long Island hours after the accident. Six hospitals in the area treated the injured.
Anthony Eugenio, who spoke to The Associated Press from a car as his mother drove him home, said his thought as the bus spun around was: “This can’t be real.”
Bruce Blakeman, executive of Nassau County, where Farmingdale High School is located, asked people to “pray for the injured.”
An update on the study.
2023-09-22 17:24:16
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