Tour bus overturns on N.J. highway, 19 hurt

Rescue workers and passengers stand by after a bus overturned in a ditch at an exit ramp off Route 80 in Wayne, N.J. Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012. The chartered tour bus from Toronto carrying about 60 people overturned on an interstate exit ramp. / AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

Last Updated 3:42 p.m. ET

WAYNE, N.J. A tour bus from Canada carrying about 60 people bound for a New York City overturned on a highway exit ramp in northern New Jersey early Saturday, slid down an embankment and landed on its side, injuring 19 passengers, authorities said.

The driver, who suffered a gash in his arm, told state police that he was cut off by another vehicle, though it was not immediately clear whether that caused the crash around 7:30 a.m. on eastbound Interstate 80 in Wayne, New Jersey.

Some windows burst during the crash and their frames pinned three people, but they were quickly freed and taken to hospitals with the other victims. The bus had been chartered by a church group.

Eight of the injured passengers were admitted in critical condition, hospital spokeswoman Liz Asani told The Record of Woodland Park. Further details on their injuries were not disclosed. The rest of the injured, including two young children, were being treated for minor injuries at two other hospitals.

State police have said none of their injuries are considered life-threatening.

"It was terrifying," Norma Cumberbatch, 66, of Toronto, told The Star-Ledger of Newark. Cumberbatch, who was travelling with her 68-year-old sister, Marjorie, said she struggled to free her legs from fallen luggage and other debris before trying to find her sister.

"I just took my leg out and then said, 'Where's my sister? I want my sister.'"

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Marjorie Cumberbatch said she heard "thump, thump, thump. Then I looked up and I saw people over me screaming and crying."

Passengers who were unhurt were put on another bus and continued their journey, authorities said.

The coach bus was from Toronto-based AVM Max 2000 Charter Services Inc., The Record reported. A woman who answered the phone at the company's office told the newspaper the bus was full but declined to give more information. The phone there then rang unanswered Saturday afternoon, and the company did not respond to an email Saturday.

The accident backed up traffic in the area for hours while law enforcement officials and emergency services vehicles attended to the scene. Several highways connect there, and the area is known locally as the "spaghetti bowl," according to The Record.

[indranee19]

As soon as I read the heading, I knew it. Some crazy, incompetent NJ driver cut them off. Nincompoop.

[thechupacabra]

I'm calling cell phone usage on that one look at those tire tracks.

[badasp97]

Wayne is in Passaic County, NJ, and I was born, raised, and lived about 10 miles from this intersection. If this bus driver was unfamiliar with the nuances of this particular exit, he was going too fast and lost it as he hit the exit ramp.The traffic is forced to go right, but the ramp turns left a bit as you enter it. If you look at the skid marks in the grass, you'll see he entered the turn and overcorrected left and couldn.t get back right because he was going too fast, dumping it in the ditch.
CDL driver for 40 years said that

[OldManArk]

Why bash the drive while not having no idea of why this happen? Yes, it could have been driver error, or a mechanical problem, medical problem, or even another vehicle cause this wreck. One thing I'm sure of, if you drive enough miles at some point in your life you will be involved in an accident while driving. And if its not your fault, do you want people just throwing out accusations at you? Best to wait to see what happens before making such accusations. Just be thankful there were no deaths.

[Lyndasweet]

Glad no one was killed. Don't be so quick to blame the driver, they are pushed to drive long hours. Blame the company that forces them to do drive 10hrs at a time, with very few breaks.

[SukmyBollix]

Well first of all sapper joe there are two pilots in control and multiple people on the deck of a ship . There are also autopilots on both airplanes and ships which take care of the "driving " . But most of all bus drivers have to put up with boneheads like you in 4 wheelers cutting them off all the time while the others dont

[Lyndasweet]

Glad no one was killed. Don't be so quick to blame the driver, they are pushed to drive long hours. Blame the company that forces them to do drive 10hrs at a time, with very few breaks.

[matt6052]

Part-time tour bus driver is the most dangerous driver on the road. Inexperienced, lacking work routine, lots of lives at stake, unfamiliar with equipment.

[quincytodd]

I wonder if some joker wasn't texting while driving. That seems to be going on a lot these days as some nitwits think they can do both simultaneously. When will people ever learn? Then again, there are still a lot of drunks on our highways, too!

[3162277660168379]

The problem, here in Canada, is that the judicial system is very weak. This lends itself to regulations without teeth and businesses unafraid of violating the regulations that do have teeth. The maximum penalty Canadian courts can impose upon negligent businesses is two million dollars. Some companies can make that in a couple hours: how is that penalty going to sway a business's safety decisions? The problem is compounded by immigrants to Canada from poor countries who buy drivers' licenses in their home country without any driving experience at all, come to Canada, convert their new licenses to Canadian ones, and drive for a bus or trucking company as if they were lifelong professionals. Canada's transportation system is horrid compared to what you enjoy in the U.S.

[gabe97]

not only you bashing the judicial system of Canada, the ministry of transportation, you are assuming it was an immigrant and you are sterotyping just because they come from a poor country? you have no idea what the problem in this crash was and you are making all kind of assumptions? can you be more stupid? if you love U.S. so much, why don't you move then? idiot!

[erasmus111]

You obviously have no idea of what you are talking about.

[animaltoo]

Buses are scary. The double-decker super buses look like a nightmare on wheels waiting to happen.