WAYNE, N.J. - A tour bus from Canada bound for New York City overturned on an exit ramp in northern New Jersey early Saturday, slid down an embankment, and landed on its side, injuring 23 of 60 people on board, authorities said.
The driver, who suffered a gash on his arm, told state police he was cut off by another vehicle, though it was not immediately clear if that caused the crash about 7:30 a.m. on eastbound I-80 in Wayne.
Some windows burst in the crash and their frames pinned three people, but they were quickly freed and taken to hospitals with the other injured. The bus had been chartered by a church group.
Eight of the injured passengers were admitted in critical condition, a hospital spokeswoman said. Details of their injuries were not disclosed. Others, including two young children, were treated for minor injuries. State police said none of the injuries were considered life-threatening.
"It was terrifying," Norma Cumberbatch, 66, of Toronto, told the Star-Ledger of Newark. Cumberbatch, traveling with her sister, Marjorie, said she struggled to free her legs from fallen luggage and other debris. "I just took my leg out and then said: 'Where's my sister? I want my sister.' "
Marjorie Cumberbatch, 68, said she heard "thump, thump, thump. Then I looked up and I saw people over me screaming and crying."
The bus was from Toronto-based AVM Max 2000 Charter Services Inc., state police said. The phone for AVM Max rang unanswered Saturday afternoon, and the company did not respond to an e-mail.
