MOUNT OLIVE, N.J. — There were multiple injuries after a school bus carrying students was involved in a serious crash on a New Jersey highway Thursday morning, CBS New York reports. A dump truck and the school bus crashed in the town of Mount Olive, according to Mayor Robert Greenbaum.
“I have never seen anything like that. I can only describe it as horrific,” Greenbaum said.
“It doesn’t take long to look at this accident scene to understand how horrific it was and how serious the injuries could be,” he added.
The body of the bus came completely off its chassis and was resting on its side in the highway median.
The crash took place around 10:30 a.m. on I-80 westbound near Exit 25 and Route 206. Greenbaum said the first word he got about the crash included “entrapment and possible ejections.”
The bus was carrying fifth grade students from East Brook Middle School in Paramus who were on a field trip to Waterloo Village, a historic site in New Jersey. Greenbaum said his heart goes out to the Paramus community.
The injured were being rushed to Morristown Medical Center, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Hackettstown Medical Center. The exact number and extent injuries was not immediately known.
Traffic was shut down on I-80 in both directions near the site of the accident. Some lanes have since reopened.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was gathering information on the crash. The New Jersey State Department of Health’s disaster team was on the scene to assist with family reunification and counseling.
A school bus was involved in a crash in Mount Olive, New Jersey, on May 17, 2018.
WABC/NNS
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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