Paramus Community Mourns Dedicated Teacher Killed In Crash

PARAMUS, NJ — The fifth-grade teacher from East Brook Middle School who died in the horrific school bus crash in Mount Olive Wednesday has been identified, according to multiple reports and social media posts.

Teacher Jennifer Williamson was killed in the crash, NorthJersey.com reported, where a man who said he was her nephew confirmed her death. The New York Times identified Williamson as the adult victim, citing her cousin.

A woman who answered the phone at Williamson's Buttonwood Drive home in Paramus said she and the family did not feel like talking and that they were "having a family moment."

Peter DiGennaro, a spokesman with the Morris County Prosecutor's Office would not confirm that Williamson was the one killed because the investigation is open.

Nick Daurio, a former student of Williamson's, expressed his sadness on Twitter Thursday night.

"One of my old teachers passed in that horrific accident I just want to pray for everyone," Daurio said. "RIP Ms. Williamson."

Sources say Williamson was a 20-year teaching veteran. The RateMyTeacher website says she taught social studies, where a review was posted late Thursday by a student who said she was kind to everyone and would be missed. "She truly loved what she did," the student wrote.

Authorities have not released the name of the fifth-grader killed in the crash.

Image: 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)

Forty-three people on the bus were injured, many of them critically. Of the 45 people on the bus, 43 were injured and taken to nearby hospitals. Many are in critical condition, Gov. Phil Murphy said during an afternoon press conference. They were taken to Morristown Medical Center, St. Joseph's Hospital, and Hackettstown Medical Center for treatment, officials said.

The fifth-graders, teachers, and chaperones were on their way to Waterloo Village, which is a short distance from where the crash occurred. Two other buses of fifth-graders were on the field trip as well, but they returned to East Brook Middle School sometime later, authorities said.

Students who were in the bus spoke of the horrific ordeal Thursday afternoon.

"I heard a scraping sound and we toppled over onto the highway," fifth-grader Theo Ancevski told the Daily Record. "A lot of people were screaming and they were hanging from their seat belts."

Ancevski said people got out of the bus through windows and the vehicle's emergency exit.

The Paramus Public School District has canceled all remaining trips this year.

Community members, former residents, and businesses used the hashtag #ParamusStrong on social media to express their support of Paramus after the crash.

Related:

• Teacher, Student Confirmed Dead In Paramus Field Trip Bus Crash
• Paramus Student Recounts Chaotic Bus Crash Scene
• Community Starts #ParamusStrong Hashtag In Wake Of Fatal Crash
• Paramus District Cancels Trips Following Fatal Crash

With reporting by Katie Kausch, Patch staff

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