Charter Bus En Route to Band Camp Overturns, Resulting in Two Fatalities and Multiple Severe Injuries

25

A charter bus transporting high school students to a band camp veered off a New York interstate and plunged down a slope on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of two adults and the serious wounding of several other passengers, according to authorities.

Governor Kathy Hochul indicated that a malfunctioning front tire may have been a contributing factor to the tragic event that took place in the early afternoon on Interstate 84, near the town of Wawayanda, situated approximately 45 miles (72 kilometers) northwest of New York City.

The deceased adults were identified as Beatrice Ferrari, 77, from Farmingdale, and Gina Pellettiere, 43, from Massapequa. State police reported that five out of the 44 passengers on the bus sustained critical injuries.

Governor Hochul described the horrific scene, stating that the bus plummeted down a 50-foot ravine. “The atmosphere was one of sheer terror, with screams and chaos ensuing as these high school students, many of whom were in their first year, found themselves in the midst of this calamity,” Governor Hochul said during a press conference.

Student Anthony Eugenio managed to contact his family to inform them he was injured but stable. He described the bus as rolling multiple times before finally coming to a stop. “He’s experiencing significant soreness and has a sizable bruise on his leg. His trousers were stained with someone else’s blood. The individual sitting next to him was drenched in blood,” his father, Jonathan Eugenio, conveyed in a telephonic interview with The Big Big News, conducted near the site of the crash.

Anthony Eugenio had to use a friend’s phone to make the call as his own phone was lost when the bus overturned. “The situation was extremely unsettling,” said the anxious father. “Receiving such news when your child is hours away is indeed terrifying.”

Television coverage displayed the uprooted grass on the slope and the bus positioned on its left side, its roof visibly distorted. A ladder was set up to facilitate rescue efforts through the bus windows.

The vehicle was part of a six-bus convoy transporting students from Farmingdale High School on Long Island to a band camp in Greeley, northeastern Pennsylvania. The school district communicated that this September trip to band camp is an annual ritual for the suburban high school, which hosts around 1,700 students, including members of the marching band, color guard, and kick line team, along with adult supervisors.

The bus was approximately 30 miles (48 kilometers) distant from Pine Forest Camp, its intended destination.

Students on the remaining buses in the caravan were directed to pause at a community college for respite before returning to Nassau County on Long Island. “Students will have the chance to decompress and consult with grief counselors,” read a district message.

Westchester Medical Center confirmed the admittance of three patients from the incident, as stated by hospital spokesperson Andy LaGuardia, though he could not confirm their condition. Two additional regional hospitals also received patients, but details were not provided.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman urged the community to “pray for those who have been injured.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Charter Bus Crash