Tragic Accident Claims Two Lives, Injures Students on Their Way to Band Camp

A devastating accident unfolded on Thursday as a charter bus, carrying high school students en route to a band camp, veered off an Orange County highway and rolled down an embankment. The incident resulted in the loss of two lives and severe injuries to several others.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul noted that a front tire failure might have contributed to the accident on Interstate 84, near Middletown, in the town of Wawayanda.

The two adults who tragically lost their lives in this accident were identified as Beatrice Ferrari, 77, from Farmingdale, and Gina Pellettiere, 43, from Massapequa. State police reported that five of the 44 passengers on board were critically injured.

Governor Hochul described the horrifying ordeal, stating, “Imagine the fear, the screams and the aftermath when these high school students, many of them freshmen, were surrounded by this chaos.”

One student, Anthony Eugenio, managed to call his family and reassure them that he was slightly banged up but okay. He recounted the bus rolling over multiple times before finally coming to a stop.

“He said he is really sore. He’s got a big bump on his leg. He’s got blood on his pants from somebody else. The person next to him was covered in blood,” his father, Jonathan Eugenio, shared in a phone interview.

News footage depicted the aftermath, with the bus lying on its left side, roof distorted, and the surrounding embankment showing signs of damage. Rescuers utilized a ladder to reach the windows.

The bus in question was one of six traveling in a caravan transporting students from Farmingdale High School on Long Island to a band camp in Greeley, northeastern Pennsylvania, according to the school district’s statement.

The trip to band camp in September is an annual tradition for the high school, involving the participation of the marching band, color guard, kick line team, and adult chaperones. In some years, over 300 students attend to rehearse and enjoy rural Pennsylvania.

The accident occurred approximately 30 miles away from the Pine Forest Camp, the students’ intended destination. Students on the other buses were scheduled to stop at a community college for a break before continuing their journey to Nassau County on Long Island.

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Westchester Medical Center received three patients, although their conditions were not disclosed. Two other regional hospitals also received patients.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman called for prayers for the injured, highlighting the tragic nature of this incident that has left a community in shock and mourning.

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