2 dead, dozens injured after bus carrying students crashes in New York

2 dead, dozens injured after bus carrying students crashes in New York

WAWAYANDA, N.Y. —

Two people have died and dozens of people are injured after a charter bus carrying high school students crashed on Interstate 84 in Orange County near Wawayanda on Thursday.

The bus was carrying 40 students from Farmingdale High School in Nassau County on Long Island. They were headed to a band camp in Greeley, Penn. Four adults were also on the bus, officials said at a news conference at State Police Troop F Headquarters in Wallkill on Thursday evening.

“Today was a day of terror,” Gov. Kathy Hochul told reporters.

The fatalities were Gina Pellettiere, 43, of Massapequa, who was the high school’s band director, according to the website for Nassau-Suffolk Performing Arts; and Beatrice Ferrari, 77, of Farmingdale, who in 2012 was given a local “Distinguished Woman in Education” award for her 26 years of service teaching social studies at the high school, according to a local report at the time.

“Five or six” students remained in critical condition Thursday evening, Hochul said. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said his staff was stationed at Westchester Medical Center where some of the most severely injured people were being treated.

The accident occurred at approximately 1:12 p.m., according to State Police. Its likely cause was a faulty front tire but it is still being investigated, State Police Assistant Deputy Superintendent Lt. Col. Richard L. Mazzone said at the news conference. The bus careened down a 50-foot ravine and came to rest on its left side in the median between the divided highway. It was one of six in a caravan from the high school, according to the school district. As of Thursday evening, the area of I-84 where the crash occurred was shut down and would remain closed for several hours, police said.

Garnet Health received 12 patients, said hospital spokesperson Chris Thurtle. Three patients were also taken to Westchester Medical Center, hospital spokesperson Andy LaGuardia said, and additional patients were taken to Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis and St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick, which are both part of the WMC Health network. Montefiore St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital also accepted an unknown number of patients, Blakeman told reporters.

A reunification center was set up at the SUNY Orange Middletown campus, also known as Orange County Community College, in the physical education building at 9 East Conklin Ave. in Middletown.

“The only advice I can give to anyone tonight is hug your children very tight,” Blakeman said. “Life is very precious. Our kids started out today thinking they were going to have a wonderful weekend with their friends. Unfortunately, these things happen.”