Submitted by New Jersey Bus Accident Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark
The scene of a car and bus accident at the intersection of Main St and High St in Orange. 7/8/15 (Ed Murray | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
ORANGE — Dozens of officials were on the scene Wednesday afternoon investigating a Coach USA bus crash into a building.
Authorities said the bus struck a Nissan Altima and hit a pedestrian before crashing into a Bank of America branch near Main Street and Scotland Road around 3:30 p.m.
One witness at the scene who declined to be identified said she was eating lunch at a nearby deli when she heard a loud crash. Others said the bus swerved into the side of the building, causing cracks in its facade.
By 4:30 p.m., investigators from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Orange Police Department and Orange Township Fire Department had arrived at the scene, closing traffic in four directions at the intersection of Main Street and Scotland.
The pedestrian, a 34-year-old man from New York City, was rushed to University Hospital in Newark with critical injuries, said Chief Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Fennelly. The bus driver, a 77-year-old man, and the Nissan’s driver, a 39-year-old woman, were also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. There were no passengers on the bus, Fennelly also said.
“ONE Bus can confirm that one of our vehicles traveling from Orange heading towards East Orange with a final destination to Newark was involved in an incident today,” said Sean Hughes, Director of Corporate Affairs, Coach USA North America, in a statement released Wednesday afternoon.
“Safety is our number one priority and ONE Bus is fully cooperating with the authorities with their investigation into the incident,” he added.
The accident is being investigated by the prosecutor’s office. Anyone with information is being asked to call detectives at 877-847-7432 or at 973-621-4586.
Originally published here by nj.com.
