Head-On School Bus Crash Partially Shut Route 206: Chester Police

CHESTER, NJ — An empty school bus crashed head-on into a car on Monday morning at about 6:45 a.m., closing the two left turn lanes on Route 206 South plus Main Street, for about an hour, according to Chester’s police chief.

The driver — Cynthia Zabita, 71 of Hopatcong — faces a careless driving charge, after she attempted to turn left onto Route 206 South from Main Street and crashed head-on into a car headed east on Main Street, said Police Chief Thomas Williver, in an email statement to Patch on Monday.

The car’s driver Nathaniel Garceau, 46, of Long Valley, declined medical attention, he said.

The Roxbury Board of Education bus had no students aboard, Williver added.

The crash caused traffic delays on Route 206 and Main Street — also known as County Route 513 — with both left lanes closed on Route 206 South, according to alerts from the Chester police department. The crash also closed Main Street until about 7:40 a.m.

Zabita has a court appearance for the accident in Chester Borough Municipal Court on March 3, said Williver.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.