MONSEY — State police are at the scene of an overturned New York City Correction Department bus transporting 16 prisoners to a state prison in Ulster County.
The inmates were being returned to the medium-security Ulster Correction facility after court appearances in New York City at the time of the crash.
The accident occurred on the northbound side of the state Thruway between Exits 14A and 14B around mile marker 25 in the vicinity of Saddle River Road.
The bus, which was carrying three DOC staff in addition to the inmates, flipped onto the driver’s side around 10:40 a.m.
State police Capt. Evelyn Mallard said, “It appears the bus was cut off by an unknown vehicle which caused the crash."
Police have taken the inmates to Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffern for medical evaluation. All the inmates are accounted for, officials said.
Ray Florida, executive director of Rockland Paramedic Services, said some of the inmates suffered minor injuries in the crash. The bus driver suffered a head injury but was described as “conscious.”
“It’s just a question of securing the area before they’re let out,” Florida said, adding, “It’s still an evolving situation.”
Northbound traffic is backed up from the Palisades Parkway Exit 13 and the Spring Valley tolls, with slight delays for the southbound lanes.
Eyewitnesses are reporting a heavy police presence at the scene as well as local emergency responders. The Correctional Emergency Response Team was also dispatched to the scene, officials said.
A police canine unit could be seen searching the wooded ravine next to the road. As of 11:30 a.m., four helicopters were circling the scene and onlookers were out of their cars watching.
The bus landed on the driver's side, stretched across several lanes.
State park police, members of state department of environmental conservation and NYSDEC spill response team are in the scene.
A DEC officer at the scene said about 10 gallons of fuel from the bus had spilled and was contained to the pavement. State thruway authorities were handling the cleanup, he said.
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