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Bus Driver Transporting Elizabeth Public Schools Children Struck and Killed on Garden State Parkway; School District Releases Statement

Elizabeth Tinton Falls

A fatal crash on the Garden State Parkway left an Elizabeth school bus driver dead and two others injured this afternoon.

According to State Trooper Alina Spies the accident occurred at approximately 9:16 this morning at mile marker 107 in Tinton Falls.

A blue caravan van was on the right lane of the south bound express lanes of the Parkway as they waited for assistance with a flat tire.  Another blue van arrived to aid the vehicle.

An Elizabeth Board of Education statement said, “The van had a flat and was pulled over to receive service, when a vehicle travelling along the highway struck and killed the bus driver.”

The disabled van was occupied by a male driver, male passenger and two children. The second vehicle, also a van, pulled over to aid the disabled car was also occupied by a male driver, Spies said.

The children were moved from the disabled vehicle to the other vehicle by the good samaritan, Spies added.

Drivers and a passenger of the vans were out of the vehicle, when a white van lost control struck the median and then the pedestrians.

Driver of the disabled vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. The two other pedestrians were taken to Jersey Shore Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries, said the trooper. 

Driver of the white van and the children in the disabled vehicle were unharmed. 

The identities of all involved are being withheld as this remains an active investigation.

The accident scene has been cleared. All lanes have been re-opened in the Tinton Falls area.

Elizabeth School District Statement: 

This is a message from your Elizabeth Public Schools. Children with special needs attend schools throughout the region to receive the education and services they deserve. Those children are transported by Union County Educational Services and its private contractors to the schools those children attend.

Today, one of those vans received a flat and was pulled over to receive service, when a vehicle travelling along the highway struck and killed the bus driver.

The children are safe and were taken to their school. However, we do lament the loss of this dedicated driver and we pray for his family in this terrible loss.

This tragedy has led to the closing of a section of the Garden State Parkway which will create severe delays throughout the day. We ask that you have this into account. Should you have any questions, please contact the Department of Special Services at 908-436-5252.

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