Absecon Teenager Among Victims of Bus Crash in Pleasantville

An Absecon teenager was one of three who died following an accident between a New Jersey Transit bus and a car in Pleasantville on Monday, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced on Tuesday.

Tevin Campbell, 18 of Absecon, and Kira Strider, 14 of Pleasantville, died on the scene. Amber Fernandez, 16 of Pleasantville, was pronounced dead at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center Intensive Care Unit at 12:08 Tuesday morning. All three were passengers in the car.

The car was being driven by Melissa Rodriguez, 18 of Pleasantville. She and three surviving passengers were taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center City Division for treatment.

The driver of the bus, 69-year-old Carmen Mazzagatti Jr. of Galloway, and several bus passengers were also taken to the hospital. There were eight passengers on the bus and five passengers in the car at the time of the crash.

The car was travelling north on Franklin Boulevard when it passed over the center line and hit the bus, which was travelling in the opposite direction.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Collisions Unit and the Pleasantville Police Department are investigating the accident.

Anyone with information pertaining to this crash is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Crash Investigations Unit at 609-909-7667. Witnesses may also contact the Pleasantville Police Department at 609-641-6100.