Two commuter buses collided at an intersection in Newark, New Jersey on early Friday. So far, one person is dead, and seven are in critical condition. Around 6:00 am, the buses crashed into each other, at North Broad St. and Raymond Blvd.
The person that died in the collision was the driver of the No. 59 Transit bus that slammed into the side of the No. 13 bus. The No. 59 bus had no passengers, but the No. 13 bus had about twenty, said spokeswoman Nancy Snyder. The buses involved in the accident are the No. 5612, driving from New York City to Orange, and No. 5784, heading from North Arlington to Newark Penn Station.
So far, 19 passengers have been hospitalized because of injuries, including seven people who are in critical condition.
“I was standing at the bus stop down here when the bus pulled down. The light changed and the other bus T-boned the 13, knocking it into the air,” said witness Khalil Smith. “Me and a couple of other guys start trying to pull people out of the bus, break the windows and pull pieces of the chairs and stuff out of the bus to get to the people.”
The National Transportation Safety Board will not investigate the crash, as claimed by a spokesperson.
Mayor Ras Baraka said he would “pray to God” for the recovery of all involved in the collision. Baraka also urged citizens to be more careful while driving.
Local Solidarity
Near the crash scene, Starbucks employees were preparing to get on with their routines. However, when they heard the collision and spotted the injured, they decided to help. The employees got clean rags, the store’s first-aid kit, and water. The idea was to make more “comfortable” both the victims and the officers working on the crash site. They have denounced many passengers had “horrific” injuries, which includes head wounds.
“I think they were in shock more than anything,” claimed an employee.
Jennifer, one of Starbucks employees, told me she was remembered of her crash car, the day after Hurricane Sandy. This memory is what gave her the resolution to help as much as she could.
Bus delays and detours
While the crash scene is cleared, there are many NJ Transit bus routes being delayed or detoured. So far, Broad Street and Raymond Blvd in Newark are closed, so all area buses are detouring to University Avenue.
According to PIX11, the bus lines affected are: Nos. 1, 5, 11, 13, 21, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 34, 39, 40, 41, 59, 62, 65, 66, 67, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 76, 78, 79, 90, 92, 99, 108, 319, 361, 375 and 378.
Previous incidents
On May 28, an elderly woman was struck by an NJ Transit bus at the intersection of Mount Prospect Avenue and Heller Parkway, at 1:30 pm.She suffered severe injuries to her legs and was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Source: CBS News