5 School Bus Crashes Reported In 1 Month In This NJ Town: Reports

LAKEWOOD, NJ — There were two crashes involving school buses in Lakewood on Thursday, bringing the total to at least five school bus crashes in the town in just over a month.

In a crash shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday, Shulem Ekstein, 37, was cited for careless driving after he made a left turn in his 2019 Ford Expedition in front of a 2020 Dodge Challenger driven by Moshe Wasserman, Lakewood Police Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith said Friday morning.

Wasserman, 22, was driving south on River Avenue when Ekstein tried to turn into the parking lot at 978 River Ave., Staffordsmith said. Wasserman's car hit the Expedition in the passenger side, then crossed into the northbound lane of River Avenue and hit a school bus driven by Ira Itzkowitz, 38, head-on, Staffordsmith said.

The bus had several students on board but Staffordsmith said the exact number had not been confirmed.

Wasserman complained of ankle pain and was taken to a hospital for treatment, but there were no serious injuries, he said. Officer Matthew McAvoy responded to the crash.

Lakewood News Network and The Lakewood Scoop published photos of the crash that police said happened just before 9 p.m. Thursday.

The crash Thursday night was the second of the day, and fifth involving a school bus since mid-September, when a school bus wound up perched on another vehicle. Read more: Students Unhurt As School Bus Hits Parked Cars: Lakewood Police

A crash in early October where police said the driver was believed to have suffered a medical emergency before the bus ran off a road and hit two parked cars prompted a call for reviews and greater scrutiny.

Two days later a school bus with 30 students on board was hit by another vehicle whose driver ran a stop sign, NJ.com reported

The Lakewood Scoop reported that Lakewood police had promised to review crashes involving school buses to see what can be done to prevent crashes, and meet with the bus companies to address the situation.

Police have set up an email address where complaints about school buses can be reported: LakewoodTrafficSafety@lakewoodpolicenj.com.

Serious school bus crash in Lakewoodhttps://t.co/Rw5l5qa6G6
— Lakewood News Network (@LakewoodNewsNet) October 22, 2021

The evening crash followed one earlier in the afternoon on Thursday.

Accident involving school bus. pic.twitter.com/BfJOgfDlfN
— The Lakewood Scoop (@LakewoodScoop) October 21, 2021

This article has been updated with information on Thursday night's crash.

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