SUV Runs Red Light, Crashes Into School Bus In Paramus: Officials

PARAMUS, NJ — No students were hurt in a crash that occurred after an SUV ran a red light and slammed into a school bus, Paramus police and school district officials said.

The 23 students on board, and the driver — a 45-year-old Lodi woman — escaped injury in a crash that occurred at about 8:45 a.m. at the intersection of Highland and East Ridgewood Avenues, officials said.

"The driver of the bus acted responsibly to protect the safety of the children on the bus," Paramus Schools Superintendent Sean Adams said in notification to the community.

Police escorted the bus, which was still drivable, to the school at 145 East Ridgewood Avenue, where students were met by staff and the school nurse, Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg said.

All of the students, he said, were "safely transported" from the scene to the school to begin the day, Superintendent Adams said.

The public school bus was turning onto East Ridgewood from Highland when it was hit by a Mercedes SUV driven by a 27-year-old Dumont man, who had failed to stop for a red light while driving west on Ridgewood, Chief Ehrenberg said.

The SUV driver, who was not identified, was issued summonses for careless driving and failure to stop for a red light, police said. He was also uninjured.

"Since any accident involving children being transported on a school bus may cause distress for the children on the bus, their families, and those waiting for their arrival, we will provide them with any support they may require," the superintendent concluded in the notification.