Two dead, over 40 injured in rollover crash of bus carrying students in New York

Two adults are dead and more than 40 people are injured after a bus carrying students headed to band camp rolled over in New York state Thursday afternoon, officials said.

Five students were in critical condition after the bus, which was transporting 40 students and four adults from Long Island’s Farmingdale School District, fell down a 50-foot ravine, state officials said at a news conference Thursday evening.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said families are grieving after the accident.

“We have families, we have a school, a school district, a county and indeed an entire state — that is grieving at this time,” she said.

The deadly accident happened about 1:15 p.m. on Interstate 84 in Wawayanda, about 75 miles northwest of New York City.

Gina Pellettiere, 43, of Massapequa, and Beatrice Ferarri, 77, from Farmingdale, died in the crash, which Hochul said may have happened because of faulty front tire.

She stressed that the findings were preliminary. The National Transportation Safety Board, in coordination with the New York State Police, will investigate the deadly crash.

The Farmingdale students and chaperones were headed to band camp in Pennsylvania, a district spokesperson said.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman struggled to make sense of how a joyous event could turn grim so quickly.

“The one advice I can give anybody tonight is hug your children very tight,” he said at the news conference. “Life is precious. … Our kids started out today thinking they were going to have a wonderful weekend with their friends.”

The injured students were taken to Orange County Community’s Diana Physical Education Building in Middletown, New York, for reunification.

Students aboard other buses were returned to Farmingdale High School, the spokesperson said. They were given access to grief counselors, according to the district.

Edward Hoschler, a parent of Farmingdale High School junior who rode in another bus headed to the band camp, was emotional when he described learning his daughter was OK.

Hoschler was a chaperone on the trip and met his daughter at the reunification center Thursday.

“To see her face, it’s … nothing a parent wants to go through,” Hoschler said, his voice cracking. “Once you see that they’re OK, then you just think immediately everyone else, the people who were on that bus.”

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., posted on social media that he’s following the developments in the bus crash.

“I’m praying for the students, passengers, families, and everyone involved. We thank all of our first responders on the scene.”