MOUNT OLIVE, NJ- Newyork.cbslocal.com reports that two people, one student and one teacher, were killed in the collision between a school bus and a dump truck on I-80 on Thursday, May 17, 2018. The accident occurred after the school bus reportedly passed its exit and attempted to make a U-turn, which was an illegal maneuver. The bus […]
MOUNT OLIVE, NJ- Newyork.cbslocal.com reports that two people, one student and one teacher, were killed in the collision between a school bus and a dump truck on I-80 on Thursday, May 17, 2018. The accident occurred after the school bus reportedly passed its exit and attempted to make a U-turn, which was an illegal maneuver.
The bus was taking fifth-grade students East Brook Middle School on a field trip, along with two other buses of children. Passengers of the bus included 38 students and 7 adults. The bus was torn from its chassis in the impact. One of the fifth-grade students was killed, and so was one of the teachers. Another 43 people were injured and transported to local hospitals. The driver of the truck also sustained injuries in the collision. As of Thursday night, one of the injured children was in a medically induced coma. Some patients are still undergoing surgical procedures.
The teacher killed in the collision has been identified as Jennifer Williamson, 51.
The Mayor of Mount Olive, Robert Greenbaum called the accident “horrific,” and said the first thing he heard about the crash was that it involved “entrapment and possible ejections.”
School buses in New Jersey must have seatbelts. Theo Ancevski, an 11-year-old who was on the bus, said that there were students hanging from their seatbelts.
The two other buses returned to East Brook Middle School after the collision. The school was closed early but opened again on Friday. All field trips for the rest of the year have been canceled.
The accident is still being investigated.
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