Student Seriously Injured, 4 Others Hurt After School Bus Flips on Highway

One child was seriously injured and four other people were hurt after a school bus crashed on a New Jersey highway, authorities say. It was the second school bus accident in the state that morning.

The kids were riding in the school bus traveling east on I-195 in Wall Township when the vehicle collided with a GMC van and overturned just before 7:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, March 27, New Jersey State Police tell PEOPLE in a statement.

Three adolescents and the bus driver only sustained minor injuries, while one child was badly hurt. They were all transported to a local hospital. The driver of the GMC sustained no injuries, police confirm.

The students were on their way to Communications High School in Wall, the Monmouth County Vocational School District confirmed in a statement posted on its website. The district said that the families of the students have been notified.

“We understand that this may cause concern, and we want to reassure you that student safety remains our top priority,” the district continued. “We are working closely with authorities and the transportation company to review the incident and ensure all safety measures are in place.” 

Following the accident – which resulted in the roof of the bus being cut open, according to footage from the scene – the eastbound lanes of the highway were shut down as police conducted an investigation, according to CW affiliate WPIX.

That same morning, another crash happened about 50 miles northwest in Franklin, N.J., which involved two of the school district’s buses, according to local police. 

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“Currently there is one injury to a nine-year-old male student who was transported to the hospital,” the Franklin Township Police Department announced on Facebook on Thursday, noting that the child was the only one injured. “His parents have been notified and are currently with him at the hospital.”

The police department had no additional information to provide when contacted by PEOPLE.

The crashes are part of an unsettling trend in the state. Earlier this month, on Monday, March 10, a child was left with “serious injuries” and 13 others were also injured following a school bus crash on the Garden State Parkway. The bus was carrying 31 people in total.