'This could have been tragic': Dozens injured after overpass rips roof off bus

John Bacon | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Charter bus slams into overpass, students injured 43 passengers were taken to a nearby hospital after a charter bus carrying high schoolers slammed into a bridge overpass on Long Island.

Someone yelled "duck" seconds before a packed charter bus slammed into an overpass on a Long Island highway, ripping the top off the bus and injuring dozens of teens, their chaperones and the driver, a New York State Police spokesman said Monday.

Maj. David Candelaria said bridges on the Southern State Parkway are too low to accommodate buses, and the driver apparently was unaware that commercial vehicles are banned. The driver, identified as Troy Gaston of Bethlehem, Pa., did not slow down before hitting the overpass, Candelaria said.

"If you look at the damage, it was a high-impact strike," Candelaria said. "We are very lucky. This could have been tragic."

The bus was traveling Sunday night from John F. Kennedy International Airport to a mall in nearby Huntington, where the travelers were to be reunited with their families after a spring break trip to Eastern Europe. Photos from the scene of the crash showed the roof of the bus had been torn off down to the top of the seats.

Candelaria said Gaston, all 38 students and the five chaperones were taken to hospitals. Two teen girls remained hospitalized Monday with injuries he described as serious.

Gaston passed a test for alcohol at the scene and cooperated with investigators, Candelaria said. He said Gaston was directed onto the parkway by a "non-commercial GPS device," and the driver was remorseful and very upset after the crash.

No charges had been filed, but Candelaria said the investigation continued. The bus was operated by Journey Bus Line, which did not respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY.

As information continues to trickle in about a bus load of young high school students crashing on the southern state parkway, we pray for all those hospitalized and their families. A lot of questions need to be answered. #southernstateparkway — Laura Gillen (@LauraAGillen) April 9, 2018

Hempstead Town Supervisor Laura Gillen said she was praying for the victims and their families, adding that "a lot of questions need to be answered."

Newsday reported plans were in the works for an electronic system that would warn drivers when vehicles are too high for an overpass on the parkway. The system, in place on the Northern State Parkway, triggers an alert on an overhead electronic road sign that warns the driver to pull over. It alerts state police of the vehicle, the newspaper said.

“Everybody was able to walk out except one, which we extricated,” Lakeview Fire Department Chief Patrick McNeill told Newsday. “There was glass everywhere. The roof of the bus is down to the top of the seat covers.”