Mass transit in New Jersey is a critical part of the economy and community. NJ Transit buses get people to and from work, medical appointments, shopping and social gatherings. As important as this service is, it can also be potentially dangerous if the bus drivers or drivers of other vehicles act negligently and cause injuries.
NJ Transit’s service area is 5,325 square miles, according to its website, and it is the country’s third largest provider of bus, rail and light rail transit. It operates a fleet of 2,027 buses on 236 bus routes. NJ Transit provides nearly 223 million passenger trips each year in all its modes of transportation.
Recently NJ Transit buses were involved in a number of bus accidents:
- A bus going from Hackensack to Penn Station crashed into a telephone pole in Carlstadt on January 13, 2016. The Number 76 line bus hit the pole at the corner of Hackensack Street and Division Avenue during the morning commute. The driver told authorities the bus may have crossed over black ice and it went out of control. No injuries were reported, according to Channel 7 News.
- An NJ Transit bus crashed into a tree in Newark the afternoon of January 11, 2016, reports CBS New York. There were 31 passengers on board; 24 of them plus the driver were treated for non-life threatening injuries. Witnesses stated the tree sheared off part of the side of the bus and broke the windshield.
- A bus driver was hurt after the bus she was driving collided with a street sweeper early on January 4, 2016, in Galloway Township, reports com. The street sweeper was stopped at an intersection and after being hit by the bus was pushed into a traffic light post. Two passengers were on the bus; one was injured and taken to a hospital. The driver was trapped in the bus after the accident and had to be cut out of it by first responders; she was ticketed for reckless driving.
- A 38-year-old Pleasantville woman was struck and killed by an NJ Transit bus the night of December 23, 2015, according to the Press of Atlantic City. A witness stated the bus was traveling in heavy rain on Franklin Avenue and struck the woman, Rosalyn Quinones, when the bus turned left onto West Jersey Avenue. Passengers on the bus saw and felt the woman hit the bus. Quinones was pronounced dead at the scene.
Unfortunately there are people who will use bus accidents to file false claims of injuries, so anyone filing legal claims due to such a crash may face extra scrutiny. If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident involving NJ Transit due to the negligence of the agency or another driver, call the Law Offices of James C. DeZao at (973) 358-6134 or fill out our contact form so we can talk about the accident, how the law may apply and how you may be able to collect compensation for your injuries.