Farmingdale High School bus crash: All students expected to recover, superintendent says

All of the injured students from Thursday’s Farmingdale High School charter bus crash are expected to recover, according to a statement Saturday from schools Superintendent Paul Defendini.

Defendini said in the statement to "our Farmingdale family" that he and other school staff members had visited the hospitalized students in the two days since the crash. “Some of them are still struggling,” he said, “but every one of our students at this time is expected to recover.”

“I know that they appreciate all the well wishes you are sending and we can’t wait to welcome them back when they are ready to return,” Defendini said. 

Several passengers still hospitalized after the crash "have a long road to recovery," Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman said Saturday morning at an unrelated news conference.

Five students remained in critical condition Saturday and will be moved to other hospitals in New York City and on Long Island, according to state police spokesman Trooper Steven Nevel.

The patients were among 40 students and four adults heading to a band camp in Greeley, Pennsylvania, on Thursday when their bus crashed on Interstate 84 in the Town of Wawayanda and tumbled down a 50-foot ravine, killing the school's director of bands and a chaperone.

A total of 22 people were hospitalized at five facilities on Friday, and seven had been released by Saturday afternoon, but it was unclear how many others remained. Some of the hospitals did not respond to media inquiries.

Five patients remained in the care of Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital and Westchester Medical Center as of Saturday afternoon, according to Andrew LaGuardia, a spokesperson at Westchester Medical Center Health Network. One was in serious condition, two were in fair condition and two were in good condition.

"Some of them have serious conditions that are going to require long-term medical treatment," Blakeman said Saturday about the remaining passengers at the two Westchester hospitals.

Blakeman, who spoke during an unrelated news conference at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, said he learned about their status after speaking to the medical director at Westchester Medical Center.

“They are stabilized so now they can concentrate on whether or not it’s a broken bone or whether or not it’s an injury to a vital organ, so that’s good news, but some of them will have a long road to recovery,” Blakeman said.

A total of 22 students had earlier been discharged from upstate hospitals, according to Nevel. 

The crash killed Gina Pellettiere, 43, of Massapequa, the school's director of bands, and Beatrice Ferrari, 77, of Farmingdale, a retired social studies teacher who was a chaperone.

Visitation for Pellettiere will be Tuesday from 4 to 8 p.m. and Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at Massapequa Funeral Home, South Chapel, 4980 Merrick Rd., Massapequa Park, according to the funeral home. 

Mass will be offered Thursday at 10:45 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes R.C. Church, 855 Carman Rd., Massapequa Park.

A wake for Ferrari will be held Monday and Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at McCourt & Trudden Funeral Home, 385 Main St., Farmingdale.  A funeral will be held at St. Kilian Parish, 485 Conklin St., Farmingdale, on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
On Thursday, one female freshman with severe injuries was airlifted to Cohen Children's Medical Center. Her condition was unclear Saturday. 

Meanwhile, volunteer counselors were on hand Saturday at a crisis center set up at the Weldon E. Howitt Middle School, where people were seen entering the building, as Nassau County police and school security patrolled the parking lot.

School officials at the crisis center declined any media interviews.

A former student holding an umbrella outside the school said she felt better after visiting the crisis center Saturday morning and added that everyone inside was helpful.  

The center, which is available to any student, staff member or community member, will be open again Sunday, from noon to 3 p.m. 

In a statement Saturday, the district said "grief counseling, student and staff support will be available on an ongoing basis throughout all of our buildings." 

Investigators will look into what led to the crash, including the possibility of a faulty left front tire, mechanical issues and driver error.