WILLIAMSTOWN, NJ — Fourteen people went to the hospital after a four-vehicle crash involving a school bus, a dump truck and two other vehicles in Gloucester County on Thursday afternoon, Monroe Township police said.
The bus was carrying elementary school students from Oak Knoll Elementary School. The district said it had left the school just minutes earlier, after the students finished their third day of classes.
Police said the crash happened along the 700 block of North Tuckahoe Road in Williamstown just before 4 p.m. The school district later said several students were taken to the hospital for evaluation and all were released after medical staff checked them.
School district says students and driver were later released
Monroe Township School District said the students were evaluated by hospital staff and then sent home. A district spokesperson said the driver and students are safe and healthy.
The district also moved quickly to offer support after the crash. Counselors will be available at Oak Knoll Elementary School on Friday for anyone who needs them, according to the district.
The school bus had only recently departed when the collision happened. That timing added to the concern because the vehicle was carrying young students home from school, not long after the day ended.
Witness describes a loud impact and a damaged SUV
Jaime Young, who lives nearby, said he heard the collision and ran outside. He described the sound as something like an explosion, followed by a hard bang.
Young said he saw a red dump truck that had struck the back of a white SUV, with the SUV then hitting another vehicle in front of it. He also said he tried to help the SUV’s driver, who appeared shaken and was focused on children in the car.
According to Young, the rear of the SUV was heavily damaged. He said the scene was alarming and made the crash feel especially serious to people who rushed out to help.
Neighbors say speeding and traffic problems worry them
People who live near North Tuckahoe Road said they are familiar with trouble on the busy stretch. Some neighbors said speeding has long been a concern in the area.
Monica Jetter said there seem to be a lot of crashes near the road. She pointed to nearby traffic patterns, including drivers pulling out from businesses and people running lights, as part of what makes the area feel dangerous.
Residents said they hoped the wreck would remind drivers to slow down and pay attention. Their reaction reflected a broader worry that the road can be risky even when traffic is moving normally.
Police continue to investigate the four-vehicle collision
Monroe Township police are still investigating what led to the crash. Officials have not publicly said what caused the chain reaction or whether any charges have been filed.
The collision involved a school bus, a dump truck and two other vehicles, but police have not released a detailed reconstruction of how each vehicle became involved. The available information shows that the crash sent multiple people to the hospital and triggered a rapid emergency response.
The district’s message focused on the outcome for the children on board. After evaluation, the students were released, easing the immediate concern for families and the school community.
A busy road, a school bus and a fast-moving emergency response
The crash unfolded on a road that neighbors described as busy and difficult to navigate at times. That setting made the incident feel even more unsettling because it involved a bus carrying elementary school students.
Officials did not say how badly the vehicles were damaged overall, but witness accounts pointed to a powerful impact and at least one badly damaged SUV. The number of people taken to the hospital underscored the scale of the collision.
For the school district, the key update was that the students and driver were safe after being checked by medical staff. For police, the focus remains on piecing together the sequence of events on North Tuckahoe Road.
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