A hardworking city woman headed to her job at a factory early Friday was the passenger killed in the NJ Transit bus collision that also claimed the life of one driver, injured 17 others and snarled traffic for hours, family and friends said Saturday. The other bus, driven by Joseph Bathelus, carried no passengers. 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. A bystander described the aftermath as a “nightmare”, to NBC4. The impact left one bus torn in half.
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Six passengers remained in the hospital late Friday afternoon, one in critical condition the rest in serious condition, prosecutors said.
Newark’s mayor said one of the drivers may have ran a red light.
“We were there before anybody was on the scene”, Ms Petrain said.
“By the grace of God, we’re praying for all of the folks that are in the hospital, that they get a speedy recovery from this tragic accident this morning”, Baraka said at a morning news conference. He was killed as was a;passenger on the other bus, which was loaded with commuters. Interim New Jersey Transit Executive Director Dennis Martin said James Roberts is a 35-year veteran of the agency. “It was awful. We saw people with head injuries, leg injuries”. Both buses are operated by NJ Transit. Firefighters were helping passengers to exit the bus, while medical officials treated those injured.
Video from the scene shows a New Jersey Transit bus slammed into the side of another NJ Transit bus on Raymond Boulevard and Broad Street Friday.
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The crash occurred as Barthelus’ bus began its route between Newark and Dunellen; the other bus was traveling between Irvington and Clifton, NJ Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder said.
