On Tuesday the September 22nd, a tragedy struck in Orange County when a bus full of Farmingdale High School student-musicians fatally crashed. It has been reported that the impact killed two adults and hospitalized around 42 students, five of whom were initially declared critical.
The day began with a bus bound for a marching band camp in Greeley, Pennsylvania, planning for a annual trip that the students enjoyed every year. Usually a safe trip with four adults aboard. The day, which most likely started with an eager hope, was soon marred with unimaginable pain. Among the four adults were Gina Pellettiere, a talented 43-year-old band director, and Beatrice Ferrari, a 77-year-old retired social studies teacher who had decided to chaperone. Both had been close friends in their lives and careers, and both were killed before they could be reached. In addition to all the respected educators lost or hurt by that desolate moment, many children have reported to acquire life-altering damages from the crash; some have severe head trauma, and some have scarring injuries and disfigurement. In addition to all the appalling physical pain that the younger ones have suffered, there is certainly an immeasurable amount of common pain circulating in the town as it prepares to tend to the losses. Nonetheless, the largest knot of pain is in the souls of the undeserving teenagers, like those at home.
As spectators, our terror gives rise to a simple, unsettling question gnawing at us: how can this even happen? While we as Long Islanders like to feel blissed from the lack of problems we face, there is a truth that we only see errors for a blink before we forget them. The blunder that robbed us of these gracious educators, ironically enough, was caused by ignorance; the losses that came to the children were caused by negligence. Service agencies must principally do routine checks on any equipment put to service, and such principles and precautions were ignored in this dreadful case. There are also seatbelts meant to be worn regardless of the vehicle, which is a law usually overlooked in buses. A punctured left tire and an incompetent driver combined, those simple acts of ignorance became fatal flaws. Even with many complaints preceding the incident, the concerns were overlooked until the bus rolled over numerous times and fell 50 ft. down Interstate 84, ceasing the moment for so many who would never be the same.
With the events still printed fresh, there is an urgency for appropriate action to be taken towards the bus corporation and the bus driver. Furthermore, this tragedy also highlights a significant failure in terms of school bus safety, more so a sign of innocent teenagers being failed due to the ignorance of others. With tragedies as painfully avoidable as this, there is always an alarm that calls for amends, or it is a ridicule to those lost in vain. As the Farmingdale High School band marches onward, the lives laid behind must not be forgotten.
