2nd Person Dies In New Jersey Commuter Bus Crash
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The Latest on the Friday collision of two commuter buses in Newark, New Jersey, in which a driver was killed and more than a dozen people were injured:
2:35 p.m.
Officials say a second person has died in a collision involving two commuter buses in New Jersey that left 17 others injured.
A spokeswoman for the Essex County prosecutor's office says the second victim of Friday's accident in Newark is a woman, but no other information was immediately available.
A news conference is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Authorities say one New Jersey Transit bus carrying only the driver slammed into another at around 6 a.m. The driver of the bus with no passengers died.
Investigators are trying to determine if the driver who died ran a red light. The intersection where the crash occurred was the first in the state to have a surveillance camera to catch drivers running red lights. The surveillance program was discontinued in 2014.
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11 a.m.
Officials say one person has died and 18 are injured after two commuter buses crashed in New Jersey. Seven of the injured are in critical condition.
Authorities say one New Jersey Transit bus carrying only the driver slammed into another around 6 a.m. in Newark. The driver of the bus with no passengers died. The other driver and 17 passengers were injured.
NJ Transit's police chief says he believes all of the injured will survive.
Investigators were trying to determine if the driver who died ran a red light. The intersection where the crash occurred was the first in the state to have a surveillance camera to catch drivers running red lights. The surveillance program was discontinued in 2014.
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10:30 a.m.
The Newark intersection where two buses crashed early Friday, injuring 19 people and killing one of the drivers, was the first in the state to feature a surveillance camera designed to catch people running red lights.
The program began in 2009 and expanded to about two dozen towns and cities in New Jersey before it was discontinued in 2014 amid controversy and lawsuits.
Newark officials claimed the red light cameras reduced accidents. Critics disputed that and said the cameras were mainly used to rake in cash for cities and towns.
Authorities were trying to determine if one of the buses ran a red light before Friday's crash at the intersection of Broad Street and Raymond Boulevard in the heart of Newark's downtown.
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10 a.m.
A Starbucks employee opening up a store near the site of a deadly bus crash says she heard what sounded like an explosion and ran out to offer help.
Jennifer Petrain was opening up the coffee shop with a co-worker when two buses collided at a downtown intersection at about 6 a.m. Friday. The Starbucks is about 100 yards from the crash site.
Petrain and the co-worker ran out with ice water, rags and a first-aid kit. She says they were the first people on the scene.
Petrain says she saw people with head and leg injuries.
One of the drivers was killed and 19 people were injured. Authorities are trying to determine whether one of the buses ran a red light.
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9:30 a.m.
Investigators are trying to determine if a commuter bus ran a red light and broadsided another commuter bus, killing a driver and injuring 19 people.
The crash occurred around 6 a.m. Friday in Newark when a New Jersey Transit bus with only the driver aboard starting its route on the 59 Line slammed into a 13 Line bus.
The driver of the 59 Line bus died. The driver's name has not been released.
NJ Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder says there were about 20 people on the 13 Line bus.
Mayor Ras Baraka says seven of the injured were in critical condition.
The mayor says the preliminary investigation is centered on whether the 59 Line bus ran a red light at the intersection of Raymond Boulevard and Broad Street.
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8:45 a.m.
One person is dead and seven people are in critical condition after a commuter bus broadsided another in New Jersey's largest city.
The crash occurred around 6 a.m. Friday in Newark when a New Jersey Transit bus with only the driver aboard was heading west on Raymond Boulevard and slammed into a 13 Line bus, which was heading north on Broad Street. There were about 20 people on the 13 bus.
The driver of the 59 Line bus died. The driver's name has not been released.
The exact number of injured is not known, but Mayor Ras Baraka says seven people are in critical condition.
The buses are a mangled mess. The bus that was struck is on its side, its frame bent and the other bus lodged in its undercarriage.
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8 a.m.
One person is dead after two commuter buses collided in Newark, New Jersey's largest city.
The victim is the driver of the New Jersey Transit bus that slammed into another NJ Transit bus at Raymond Boulevard and Broad Street on Friday.
NJ Transit spokeswoman Nancy Snyder says the crash occurred around 6 a.m. when the 59 Line bus was headed north on Broad Street struck the 13 Line bus, which was carrying about 20 passengers.
Emergency crews are removing the injured from the bus. The extent of the injuries is not known.
The driver was the only person on the 59 Line bus.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is investigating the crash.
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7:45 a.m.
Emergency crews are removing people on stretchers from a commuter bus that was struck by another in Newark, New Jersey.
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.
One of the buses is on its side and that's where emergency crews have been treating the injured.
The number of injured and the extent of their injuries are not known.
A NJ Transit spokeswoman could not immediately comment.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office is handling the investigation.
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7:30 a.m.
Two commuter buses have collided in Newark, New Jersey's largest city.
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. One of the buses is on its side.
Emergency crews are on the scene removing people on stretchers from the bus that is on its side. The number of injured people and the extent of their injuries are not known.
A NJ Transit spokeswoman says officials are gathering information about what happened and could not immediately comment.
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Two commuter buses have collided in New Jersey's largest city.
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 in Newark. One of the buses is on its side.
There is no word on injuries.
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