In an accident which sent more people to the hospital than any other to occur in the Lincoln Tunnel this year, a New Jersey Transit bus recently rear-ended a chartered bus carrying elementary-aged children. The chartered bus contained a group of 26 Canadian eighth grade students, their principal, and a staff member, traveling into New York City from Toronto for several days of sightseeing. Fortunately, none of the Canadian students were injured. However, 31 of the 60 passengers on the New Jersey Transit bus, headed for the Port Authority Bus Terminal, were sufficiently injured as to require hospitalization. 

The door of the NJ Transit bus was damaged in the crash, so that emergency personnel had to spend approximately ten minutes using heavy-duty tools to remove the door from the bus to be able to reach the passengers. One witness reported that four individuals were taken away on stretchers. All 31 were treated for non-life threatening injuries at area hospitals in the city, namely Bellevue, Lenox Hill, and Mount Sinai Roosevelt. The injuries were largely neck and back injuries, along with some lacerated heads and broken noses. Several passengers who had more minor injuries than the 31 who were hospitalized received treatment from a triage station set up near the crash site. Additionally, a pregnant woman in a separate bus began experiencing contractions after the crash and was transported to Mount Sinai Roosevelt hospital.

The crash resulted in a delay of 45 minutes to NJ Transit buses traveling out of Port Authority and kept traffic in the Lincoln Tunnel’s center tube at a complete standstill for approximately 90 minutes. Port Authority crews had difficulty moving the bus out of the tunnel, and the process ended up taking approximately three hours.

Authorities do not anticipate filing any charges against the NJ Transit driver, but the 36-year-old driver has been suspended pending the results of an investigation. Under the law, bus drivers must meet a higher standard of care and attention than an average driver when transporting their passengers. A skilled attorney will know how to investigate a claim and what evidence to look for in order to prove that a driver was negligent. If you or a loved one have been injured in a bus accident, speak with an attorney to determine whether you might benefit from filing a claim against a negligent driver and the company employing that driver. Contact the knowledgeable bus accident and personal injury lawsuit attorneys at Smith & Doran for a free consultation on your claims from anywhere throughout Morris County, Warren County, Bergen County, and beyond, at 973-292-0016.