A third person has died following the aftermath of an accident between a passenger car and a New Jersey Transit bus that occurred over the Memorial Day weekend holiday. According to witnesses, the accident took place at approximately 2:00 in the afternoon, when a vehicle driven by 18-year old Melissa Rodriguez of Pleasantville, New Jersey was driving on Franklin Boulevard. She had five passengers in her vehicle, and was observed to have crossed over the center line of the highway, striking the public transportation vehicle head on as it moved in the opposite direction within its own lane. Though the bus driver made an attempt to steer out of the way of the vehicle, they were unable to avoid the crash. The car ended up sideswiping the bus and then spinning around, ending up facing south before coming to a rest. The bus was sent careening to a spot where it ended up on a sidewalk between two poles. Both drivers were tested for drugs and alcohol.
The bus was transporting about one dozen people at the time, some of whom sustained minor injuries. The 69-year old bus driver, Carmen Mazzagatti Jr of Galloway and several passengers were taken to nearby Atlanticare Regional Medical Center for treatment of their injuries. Two of the teens, 18-year old Tevin Campbell of Absecon, New Jersey and 14-year old Kira Strider of Pleasantville were declared dead at the scene, while a third passenger, 16-year old Amber Fernandez, died later while being treated at the hospital’s intensive care unit. The driver of the vehicle and two other passengers who had been riding in her compact car remained in the hospital for continuing treatment of their injuries, with the driver reportedly in stable condition and at least one of the other two still listed in serious condition.
It is unknown what caused the 18-year old driver to suddenly swerve into the path of the much larger vehicle, though some people familiar with the area indicated that there is a large bump in the roadway immediately before the spot where the car reportedly swerved into the path of the bus. Emergency departments from the surrounding areas of Pleasantville, Absecon, Northfield, Galloway, Longport and Hamilton Township were dispatched to the scene immediately, and the incident is being investigated by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Fatal Collisions Unit as well as the Pleasantville Police Department, which is expected to be conducting a reconstruction of the accident shortly.