Photo Credit: Ansha Kibria
On September 21, 2023, a charter bus carrying students and adults from Farmingdale High School crashed on the way to a band camp in Pennsylvania, killing two teachers, leaving five students in critical condition, and injuring several dozen students, according to The Associated Press. Among the survivors was 14-year-old trombone player Noah Khan. “It was like a really gross sighting,” he said. “It didn’t feel real.”
The band students and faculty were headed to a three-day camp. Noah explained that during the camp, they were supposed to practice drills for the marching band and participate in other fun activities. It was a quiet bus ride before the accident. “I had woken up from a nap like 30 minutes ago, like before it happened, so I was kind of drowsy,” Noah said. “I wasn’t asleep and I wasn’t on my phone either, so I was just kind of looking out the windows. That was weird.”
Suddenly, the accident happened. “It was like a pop or something,” Noah recalled. “And then we swerved into the ditch thing and it was really loud.” Noah and his peers were thrown around in the bus, as the majority of them were not wearing seatbelts. While he doesn’t remember what he held onto, he found something to grab to keep him in place. “We were rolling and stuff and there was a lot of dirt,” Noah said. “So, I went and hopped out… it was just that there was a lot of blood.” The New York Post reported that the bus was one of six on the way to the camp. It “overturned and rolled 50 feet down a ravine off Interstate 84 near Wawayanda,” they reported.
Noah called his father, Zubayer Khan, from a friend’s phone and had him speak to a state trooper. Khan soon learned that the accident happened in Orange County in upstate New York, which was two and a half hours away. “I was very upset and very distressed and trying to get more information,” he expressed. “I wanted to find out if [Noah] was okay.”
Noah was able to help a few others out of the bus. He assumed that they were “probably shocked” and noted that they couldn’t get out themselves. Noah had conflicting emotions throughout the crash. He explained, “I guess you could say I was calm and… stressed at the same time.”
It’s not yet clear what caused the accident, as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is still investigating the crash. The Associated Press reported that NY Governor Kathy Hochul suggested the tires were to blame. It can’t yet be concluded that is the reason, but the NTSB plans to investigate the mechanics of the bus, including if there were any issues with the tires. “Investigators will also be looking into the Long Island-based operator of the charter bus, Regency Transportation, and its drivers, to see how they comply with federal regulations,” said the Associated Press.
During the NTSB’s investigation, they interviewed the bus driver, Lisa Schaffer. Details about the contents of this interview have not been released, as reported by Long Island News 12. They also reported that “a preliminary report is expected within 30 days,” as of September 28, 2023, and that “a final report will take at least a year.”
Noah described how he felt on his way to the hospital, as the crash left him on edge. “I remember, like on the ambulance ride to the hospital, it was weird,” he explained. “I don’t know if anyone else felt like that. But like me personally, it would like every time we hit a bump it would freak me out.” Noah takes the school bus home and even driving over little bumps or making heavy turns make him uneasy sometimes.
The family shared immense relief over the outcome of Noah’s situation as he hadn’t received any critical injuries during the accident. “We’re extremely lucky that [Noah] was okay,” his father said. “I don’t have any crazy injuries. I just had some like cuts and bruises,” Noah explained. Although the Khan family was fortunate, other families were not so lucky as there were multiple deaths during the accident. “There are other students and teachers who passed away and there are other students who are critically injured. And this is a small community so… we’re also thinking about Noah, how he’s going to cope,” Khan expressed. The high school band director, Gina Pellettiere, 43, was killed, according to the New York Post. Pellettiere was a single mother with a 2-year-old son. She was known for being a wonderful teacher and a loving family member. Beatrice Ferrari, 77, was a retired history teacher on the bus who was also killed. She volunteered her time to the school community and always helped out at the annual band camp trip.
One student’s parents, Kimberley and Corey Ellis, filed a notice of claim against the Farmingdale School District and intend to sue the district and Regency Transportation on the basis of negligence, according to the New York Post. The couple’s 14-year-old daughter was injured in the crash. The New York Post reported that the district hired “Regency Transportation LTD, which had been cited for federal safety violations more than two dozen times — and was on a recent list of ‘unacceptable operators.’” The Ellises cited the lack of information provided to the parents about this issue, the failure to ensure the safety of the transportation, the lack of training for safety procedures, and the absence of a seatbelt requirement.
The New York Post said they obtained a notice explaining that the family is seeking $12 million in damages. They seek “$10 million for injuries including broken ribs, lung damage, head wounds and disfigurement,” according to the report. The other $2 million is sought out for the cost of medical and psychological damage and care.
Noah has since been recovering. He said, “Obviously, I’m like a little shaken up,” but he believes he is managing to cope well. “[Farmingdale High School has] been laying it easy on the work a little bit,” he said. Noah explained that people at school are “nicer” and that so far, he hasn’t been bombarded with tons of questions about the accident. Noah’s father said that the school has provided “emotional support” to students.
Noah returned to school on Monday, October 2, 2023. Students’ returns to school depended on their injuries and recoveries. The Superintendent of the Farmingdale School District, Paul Defendini, announced that the last of the students injured from the bus crash were finally released from the hospital on October 6, 2023, Newsday reported.
The accident was fatal and devastating, so the district must navigate how to proceed with providing emotional support, planning future events, and promising safety to their community. Zubayer Khan explained that educational opportunities are important and that in the future, the school should continue to engage in off-campus learning programs and trips as long as safety is ensured. He said, “This should not deter us from future band camps or excursions or trips, but we should definitely make sure the bus company we select has a good track record. Safety’s first.”
