Ramapo, NY – Seven Children Hurt After School Bus Crash in New Hempstead

Ramapo, NY (December 1, 2022) – Seven kids and their bus driver were transported to hospitals in Ramapo after their school bus veered off of North South Gates Drive and into a house. The wreck happened on Thursday, December 1, just before 9:00 a.m.

According to Ramapo police, 7 children were transported to the hospital with various injuries. Among them were two 5-year-old boys who were seriously hurt, though their injuries should not be life-threatening. 

The boys and five other students were taken to West Chester Medical Center. Police say the bus driver, a 37-year-old man, was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital with a cut on his head. Police are working to determine whether intoxication or another form of negligence may have contributed to the crash. 

Reports indicate that the bus skidded off of the roadway and struck a tree and a pole before crashing into two cars parked in a driveway. The bus then went down a grassy hill and struck several more trees before colliding with the house on North South Gates Drive. Twenty-two individuals, including the driver, were present on the bus at the time of the crash. 

Photos and videos from the scene show a yellow school bus with its front end completely crushed, stopped up against a house next to an overturned vehicle. Broken tree limbs and a path of torn-up grass and dirt stretched out behind the bus. The impact appeared to have torn away part of the siding of the house and completely crushed the engine compartment of the school bus. 

Police continue to investigate the details of the accident. 

We hope for the full recovery of the injured victims. 

New York Bus Accidents

Commercial buses were involved in approximately 5% of all large vehicle accidents nationwide from 2005 to 2006. About 14% of all large vehicle collisions in New York involved buses that same year. A study conducted concerning bus accidents for that same time period showed that a total of 40 buses were involved in 39 collisions that caused severe injuries and fatalities. 

Research also revealed that, in approximately 50% of those wrecks, the bus company or driver shared some portion of responsibility for the accidents. The most common reasons listed for bus accidents usually include: 

• Driving at unsafe speeds
• Illegal lane changes or turns
• Distracted driving
• Failing to remain on the roadway during lane changes
• Defective brakes
• Tailgating

Public carriers like bus drivers have a professional duty to adhere to the utmost standard of care when operating their vehicles. Bus companies have the responsibility of maintaining their vehicles in proper working condition in order to guarantee the total safety of their passengers at all times. 

Following a severe bus accident, victims may be hospitalized for prolonged periods of time while they attempt to recover from their accident-related injuries. The physical, economic, and emotional consequences of any traffic accident are usually cumulative. Injured crash victims and their family members should not need to fight in order to recover from their injuries. 

Those who sustain injuries in bus crashes usually require ongoing medical care that can last for months or longer. These treatments can be extensive and expensive and take up a lot of time, money, and energy. Contact an experienced bus attorney in New York at  (800) 469-6476 to find out what compensation you could be entitled to if you or a loved one suffered injuries in a commercial bus accident.

Notes: Outside sources were used in the creation of this post, including news bulletins and first-hand accounts of the accident and injuries involved. As a result, the details of the accident presented have not been independently verified. If you have identified any false information in the story or would like the post to be removed, please inform us immediately, and we will correct the information or remove the post. 

Disclaimer: As a member of the local community, we at Metro Law strive to improve the overall safety and quality of life for everyone who lives in our beloved state. We are extremely saddened by these accidents but hope that through an awareness of these dangers, those in our community will take precautions to avoid these accidents. This is not a solicitation for business, and this information should not be misconstrued as medical or legal advice. We wish only the best and quickest recovery to all those involved in the accident. The photos depicted in this post are not from the actual accident scene.