2 Killed, 43 Injured In Rt. 80 School Bus Crash

MOUNT OLIVE, NJ — A bus carrying 45 students, teachers and chaperones from a Paramus middle school crashed on I-80 Thursday morning, killing two, authorities have confirmed. The crash, which involved a dump truck, happened near Exit 25 in Mount Olive around 10:20 a.m. All westbound lanes were closed due to the crash.

The identities of the student and teacher who died were not released, pending notification of family, Gov. Phil Murphy said during an afternoon press conference. However, multiple media reports and social media tributes say it was social studies teacher Jennifer Williamson who was killed.

Of the 45 people on the bus, 43 were injured and taken to nearby hospitals. Many are in critical condition; Murphy declined to elaborate further on the types of injuries.

You can watch the governor's full press conference here.

The bus was carrying students from East Brook Middle School in Paramus, said Darryl Demott at the Paramus Office of Emergency Management. An incident command center was set up for the families at the school. According to Paramus Public Schools, the fifth graders were on their way to Waterloo Village for a scheduled field trip. The scene of the crash is only a few miles away from the Village.

RELATED: Paramus Community Mourns Dedicated Teacher Killed In Crash

Two additional buses on the field trip returned safely to the school, Paramus Council President Holly Tedesco said at a press conference. According to NBC 4, the two other buses arrived at the Waterloo Village but students were told they had to head back to school due to an impending storm.

Students who were at school on Thursday were dismissed early, the school said.

Images from the crash scene show the bus was ripped from its undercarriage and had overturned on its side.

ABC7 is reporting that State Troopers were using cadaver dogs to search nearby woods for victims who may have been ejected from the bus.

Multiple ambulances were called to the scene. Morristown Medical Center, Hackettstown Medical Center, St. Claires Dover and Denville, UMDNJ Newark, and St. Joe's Medical Center all received patients, Murphy said.

The National Transportation Safety Board said via Twitter it was "gathering information on the crash" and in a subsequent tweet confirmed it was not investigating. The State Health Department disaster team is at the crash site assisting with family reunification and counseling, Commissioner Shereef Elnahal said.

All lanes are closed on the westbound side, and the left lane on the eastbound side remains closed. Mount Olive police warned drivers to expect delays on Route 46 as a result of the detours.

Students recounted the chaotic scene inside the bus at the time of the crash. One student said children were hanging from their seat belts, and had to escape through windows.

Horrific images from the scene show the bus overturned and mangled, with severe damage. It appears that the body of the bus was separated from the chassis.

Image 1: Emergency personnel work at the scene of a fatal Paramus school bus crash on Interstate 80 in Mount Olive Thursday morning. (By Avi Gibli, used with permission)

Image 2 via Cathy McGrath Robertson, used with permission