Gov. Hochul: 2 dead, at least 5 critical in Orange County crash involving bus used by Farmingdale School District

Gov. Kathy Hochul says two adults were killed in the crash. She also said five or six students were critically injured. A preliminary investigation has found a faulty front tire may be to blame for the crash.

News 12 Staff

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Sep 21, 2023, 6:30 PM

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Updated 426 days ago

Two people were killed and at least five students were critically injured following a crash involving a bus used by the Farmingdale Union Free School District on I-84 in Orange County, Gov. Kathy Hochul says.

MORE: Officials hold news conference on the Orange County bus crash

The Farmingdale Union Free School District confirms one of its buses was en route to band camp when the crash occurred.

MORE: News 12's Blaise Gomez was live at the scene

Officials have identified the two adults killed in the crash as Gina Pellettire, 43 of Massapequa, and Beatrice Ferrari, 77 of Farmingdale.

Pellettire is the Farmingdale High School’s band director and Ferrari was a teacher at the school for more than 26 years.

Officials say at least three students from the crash were being cared for at Westchester Medical Center, a level one trauma center. The most seriously injured people are typically taken there.

A Nassau County Police Highway Patrol SUV was seen leading a small caravan of vehicles onto the hospital’s property.

A medevac helicopter was seen landing at the hospital.

There was no word on the ages or conditions of those taken to the hospital.

News 12's Kevin Vesey was live at Westchester Medical Center, a level one trauma center, where three patients from the crash are being cared for.

Hochul says a preliminary investigation found that a faulty front tire may be to blame for the crash.

Others who were injured in the bus rollover were taken to other hospitals across the area.

News 12's Jonathan Gordon was live at Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, where some of the other students were taken

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman arranged a police escort for families of the affected students.

The school district says other students from the bus involved in the crash were taken to Orange County Community’s Diana Physical Education Building in Middletown for reunification with their families.

They say students from five other buses are en route back to Farmingdale High School. On their way, they stopped at Orange County Community College to meet with grief counselors if needed.

Families were able to reunite with their students in the bus parking lot off Grant Avenue and should bring identification.

News 12's Diane Caruso was live at the reunification center that was set up for the parents of students who were uninjured in the crash.

News 12 Investigative Reporter Rachel Yonkunas took a look at the record of Regency Transportation, the bus company whose vehicle, was involved in the rollover.