The parents of a high school student who was injured after a charter bus on the way to band camp crashed in the woods, killing two people, are now suing her Long Island school district, claiming the bus company it hired has a history of security violations.
Parents Kimberley and Corey Ellis have filed a legal notice with the Farmingdale School District for hiring Nesconset-based Regency Transportation LTD.
The company has suffered several federal safety violations and was recently listed as an “unacceptable operator.”
According to the New York PostThe parents want $10 million for their daughter’s injuries, including broken ribs, lung damage, head wounds and deformities.
They are also seeking $2 million in damages for themselves and the district to cover the costs of their daughter’s medical and psychological care.
Kimberley and Corey Ellis have filed a legal notice with the Farmingdale School District for negligently hiring a bus company with an alleged long history of safety violations
The parents want $10 million for their daughter’s injuries, including broken ribs, lung damage, head wounds and deformities
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration says the bus company has committed 25 violations since 2021. This year alone, the company failed five inspections.
The violations included defective bus emergency exits, non-working brake lights, non-working headlights and oil and grease leaks.
Jared Cooper, who is representing the family, told The Post: “The school has a responsibility to act when the students are in their care, and they have failed to do so.”
He also said the school “recklessly” failed to tell parents that the bus company had been placed on the Unacceptable Operators List by New York State and failed to ensure the bus was “safely and properly owned.”
Cooper specified that the bus company was “woefully” underinsured for student transportation and did not have adequate insurance to cover all claims.
The Farmingdale School District said various points of sale it cannot comment on pending litigation. Regency Transportation LTD officials said they were not familiar with MailOnline.com and did not want to participate.
Only a notice of termination action has been initiated, which is a necessary step when a public body is taken to court. A lawsuit will soon be filed against the school and the bus company.
The accident happened when a bus overturned ten miles from the nearest exit on the nearby two-lane highway into the Orange County city of Wawayanda.
It led a convoy of six buses carrying a total of 300 students, mostly ninth graders, from Farmingdale High School in Nassau County to the marching band camp music event at Pine Forest in Greeley, Pennsylvania.
The bus left the busy road about 75 miles northwest of New York City and fell down an embankment before coming to rest on its side in the woods.
Two people were killed after the bus left the busy road about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of New York City and plunged down an embankment before coming to rest on its side in the woods.
Gina Pellettiere, 43, and Beatrice Ferrari, 77, were confirmed as the two teachers killed in the crash
It caused the deaths of two teachers: Gina Pellettiere, 43, and Beatrice Ferrari, 77, and injured six.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed the deaths, describing it as “a day of terror” for the 44 people – four adults and 40 students – on board.
She said all 44 people on board were pulled from the wreckage within 45 minutes.
The injured were taken to Westchester County Medical Center or Garnet Health Medical Center in Wallkill, with two Medivac helicopters assisting in the rescue effort.
Anthony Eugenio, a student, was on the bus and recalled the bus turning over several times before coming to a stop.
He called his family to say he was a little confused.
‘He said he’s really hurting. He has a big bump on his leg. He has blood on his pants from someone else,” his father said.
“The person next to him was covered in blood.”
The tumbling bus crushed trees and shrubs as it fell down the slope
Ladders were lifted to the overturned bus to reach the passengers
Anthony had to borrow a friend’s phone because he lost his in the crash.
“It was pretty nerve-wracking,” his father said.
“When you get news like that and your son is two and a half hours away, it’s quite scary.”
The bus bore the logo of the Regency Luxury Charter Bus Company of Smithtown, New York, and was about 100 miles (160 kilometers) en route to the annual four-day weekend camp when the accident occurred.
The cause of the crash is still unknown and the National Transportation Safety Board said it was monitoring the crash.
The trip to band camp in September is an annual tradition at the school, which has 1,700 students.
It is attended by members of the marching band, color guard and kickline team, along with adult chaperones.