Two people, including a Long Island high school band director, were killed and dozens of students injured when a charter bus carrying the musicians to camp crashed on an upstate New York highway Thursday, officials said.
The bus was taking 40 band members from Farmingdale High School to a camp in Greeley, Pa., when it suddenly careened off Interstate 84 near Wawayanda in Orange County and tumbled 50 feet down a ravine shortly before 1:20 p.m.
“Today was a day of terror,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said at a Thursday night press conference.
“No one could’ve foreseen what these 40 students and four adults would’ve experienced, but certainly there are families grieving today,” she said.
The fatal wreck appeared to have been caused by “a faulty front tire,” according to the governor.
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Gina Pellettiere, 43, the director of the high school’s marching band and wind ensemble, andretired teacherBeatrice Ferrari, 77, were killed in the crash, police said.
Pellettiere taught music for almost two decades and led her students on numerous trips during her career,Newsday reported.
“It was obvious she loved what she did,” former colleague Jason Giachetti said of Pellettiere.
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Ferrari taught history at Farmingdale High School for more than 30 years, but kept chaperoning band trips even after she retired, the outlet reported.
Five of the injured students were rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
The bus, operated by Regency Transportation, was one of six traveling with band members to the camp.
Photos from the scene show the hellish aftermath, with the bus on its side at the bottom of a slope surrounded by trees. First responders appeared to have used a ladder to climb to the side of the bus to assist victims.
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A 15-year-old student on the bus said he was sleeping, but woke up when he felt a thud.
The bus felt as if it was tipping over, Anthony Eugenio told the Associated Press. He then felt himself tumble as he tried to get a better idea of what was happening.
“Then everyone was yelling,” he said. “The kid next to me was covered in blood. I saw blood everywhere.”
The bus bore a logo for Regency, a company that serves New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
A state Department of Transportation spokesperson confirmed to the New York Times that the coach that crashed Thursday was operated by Regency, which is based on Long Island.
The driver was licensed and the company passed its most recent inspection, the Times reported.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Regency has failed seven of 31 vehicle inspections over the past two years, according to online state DOT records. It’s unclear what led to the failures.
The company received a satisfactory rating from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, records show.
Regency, which has 14 drivers and eight vehicles, had one crash that led to one injury over the last two years before Thursday, US Department of Transportation records indicate.
Following the fatal crash, the school’s other five buses turned around and headed back to Farmingdale, arriving back at the school shortly before 9 p.m.
The wrecked bus was later recovered from the embankment and turned upright on the roadway around 10:45 p.m. Thursday, photos taken by The Post show.
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A middle school teacher with the district told WABC her niece was on one of the buses that wasn’t involved in the accident.
“It’s terrifying,” Howitt Middle School teacher Donna Baltch said.
“These kids go on a trip to have fun, this is something that they look forward to all year, and these poor teachers, these chaperones, I’m hearing mixed things, we don’t know if they’re okay. Right now, we are just praying and hoping that they’re okay.”
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said during a press conference that a weekend of fun and music quickly morphed into a tragedy.
“Our hearts go out to all of the families of Farmingdale High School and our condolences to all those who passed today,” Blakeman said.
The students were supposed to reach Pine Forest Camp, which rents out facilities on its grounds.
“Our hearts go out to the families affected by this terrible accident,” a spokesperson for the camp told the New York Times. “Farmingdale High School Band has been a wonderful and welcomed group that has rented our camp for many years.”
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The 315-student marching band performs at various music festivals and during home football games, according to the school’s website.
The students were expected to be at the band camp from Thursday to Sunday.
