Eight people, including four children, were hospitalized following a crash involving a school bus and a pickup truck in Staten Island, N.Y. Wednesday morning.
The crash occurred after the mini-bus was reportedly hit by a heavy-duty pickup truck around 7:45 a.m. Wednesday at Oakdale Street and Preston Avenue, reports the Associated Press. As a result, the bus, which was carrying four special needs children between the ages of 5 and 9, overturned.
The driver of the truck, identified as FDNY Captain Gary Cline, was taking his 14-year-old daughter to school at the time of the crash, reports CBS New York.
"He said that the school bus did not stop at the stop sign and he tried to avoid it and he hit the school bus and flipped it over," said Cline's father, Jim.
Department of Education spokeswoman Margie Feinberg said the children, bus driver and matron have all been hospitalized. The injuries are considered serious, but non-life threatening.
Authorities do not believe speed was a factor in the crash, but neighbors said the intersection is notorious for speeding and have been begging the city for stop signs and speed bumps for over a decade.
"I'm disgusted with this place, nobody wants to help us," witness Anthony Magnavito told CBS. "I've had petitions, they refuse to make a slow zone over here on Oakdale Street. I don't know what to do anymore."
"Unfortunately it has to take a tragic event to get attention and people to help us," Martarella said. "But it's so sad how we begged for 12 years. This is not a year, this is not months, this is 12 years."
The investigation is ongoing. So far, police have not issued a summons to either driver.