Mayor: Teen pinned in Garden State Parkway bus crash ‘fighting for his life’
New Jersey State Police say the bus driver traveled off the right side of the road, causing the bus to overturn.
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A 14-year-old boy pinned under a bus crash on the Garden State Parkway is “fighting for his life,” according to Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali.
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The bus, which was carrying 31 people, including 29 children and two adults, overturned around 7:30 p.m. in the northbound lanes of the parkway, south of Exit 172, near the James Gandolfini rest area.
New Jersey State Police say the bus driver, 44-year-old Joseph Itzkowitz of Lakewood, New Jersey, traveled off the right side of the road, causing the bus to overturn.
One child was critically injured, and 13 others, all under the age of 18, suffered minor injuries and were taken to area hospitals.
According to Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali, the Woodcliff Lake Fire Department was the first to arrive at the scene, coming from another fire call, and assisted the Montvale Volunteer Fire Department and other firefighters in lifting the bus to rescue the boy and the other passengers.
The bus was traveling from Lakewood, New Jersey, to Rockland County, but Lakewood school officials say the group was not connected with their district.
New Jersey State Police are handling the investigation.
Coverage from Monday night
This is a developing story. Stay with News 12 for the latest updates.
