Three people were killed and several others injured when a New Jersey Transit bus and a car collided Monday in Pleasantville.
The car was headed north on Franklin Boulevard when it crossed the center line and struck the bus moving in the opposite direction, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.
According to New Jersey Transit spokesman John Durso Jr., vehicle and bus collided on the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Old Turnpike Road at 1:49 Monday afternoon.
There were nine people in the bus at the time of the accident including the driver. Three people were injured on the bus, including two passengers and the driver, Durso said.
The operator of the NJ Transit bus was identified as Carmen Mazzagatti, Jr., 69, of Galloway Township, McClain said.
The driver and injured bus passengers were all transported with non-life threatening injuries to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center—Atlantic City Campus, Durso said.
The car driven by Melissa Rodriguez, 18, of Pleasantville, had five passengers at the time of the crash.
The two fatalities of Rodriguez’s vehicle that were pronounced dead at the scene were identified as Tevin Campbell, 18, of Absecon, and Kira Strider, 14, of Pleasantville, said McClain.
A third passenger of Rodriguez’ vehicle, Amber Fernandez, 16, of Pleasantville, was pronounced dead at the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center -Intensive Care Unit at 12:08 a.m. this morning.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
Anyone with information pertaining to this crash is asked to call the Atlantic County
Prosecutor’s Office Crash Investigations Unit at 609-909-7667. Witnesses may also contact the Pleasantville Police Department at (609) 641-6100.
Durso said the bus route originated at the Atlantic City Bus Terminal and was on its way to Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing.