Dramatic new dashcam video shows moment a NJ Transit bus crashed into a truck on the New Jersey Turnpike in February, injuring more than two dozen passengers on board.
Broken glass is seen flying everywhere in the on-board video from the Feb. 14th crash, which took place at around 7:30 a.m. A bus from the No. 139 line, operating from Lakewood to New York's Port Authority Terminal, collided with a Mack truck and a Freightliner as all three were heading north in the heavy rush hour traffic, police said at the time.
The bus was traveling about 68 mph at the time of the crash, which sent the windshield flying. From another camera, the bus can be seen coming up in the bus lane on the rear of a cement truck. Then, the collision near Exit 13 in Elizabeth.
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"I put my hands on the seat but it still wasn’t enough, my head still went forward and I busted my lip and my teeth hurt, my whole mouth hurts and my legs got banged up," said passenger Luisa Robles.
She said she still suffers from whiplash and other injuries, and is seeing a physical therapist, but is glad to be alive.
Another passenger sitting in the front seemed to react before the driver himself, as both ended up bracing themselves while the bus hurtled into the back of the cement truck. NJ Transit said the driver has been retrained and was given appropriate discipline, without specifying what it was.
Photos taken afterward on board depicted that two dozen out of 32 passengers on board were injured by the collision. Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to open the bus and reach the battered and bloody riders. The bus was an older model and was not equipped with seat belts.
Twenty-five people, including the bus driver, were transported to area hospitals, while four passengers refused medical attention. None suffered serious injuries, according to police, previously adding that the remaining passengers were accommodated by another bus to continue their trip.
State police on Monday told NBC New York the three drivers involved all got tickets: The driver of the cement truck, the driver of a box truck (up ahead and to the right who swerved into the bus lane) and the bus driver for following too close at higher speeds.
The bus driver on the 911 call said that he was cut off, which is why he crashed into the other vehicle as all three were heading north in the heavy rush hour traffic.
At least two passengers told NBC New York they are exploring legal options for injuries that still linger after that violent collision.
An investigation is ongoing.
