Father Of Farmingdale HS Band Student Files Lawsuit Against Bus Company, Driver

FARMINGDALE, NY — The father of a 14-year-old girl injured in the fatal Wawayanda bus crash carrying the Farmingdale High School marching band is suing the bus company and the driver, according to documents obtained by Patch.

Lawrence Doreson, the father of a 14-year-old Farmingdale High School student, on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Regency Transportation Ltd., the Nesconset company that had a bus involved in the crash on Sept. 21, documents show. The bus driver was also named in the lawsuit.

The bus operator was driving to Greeley, Pennsylvania, for the school's annual band camp when it careened off Interstate 84, crashed through a guard rail, and tumbled down a 50-foot ravine, state officials said.

Two educators, Gina Pellettiere, 43, of Massapequa, and Beatrice Ferrari, 77, of Farmingdale, died in the crash. Pellettiere was the single mother of a 2-year-old son, while Ferrari was a retired teacher who chaperoned band camp every year.

The crash was caused by "negligent, grossly negligent, wanton, reckless, and careless acts" of the bus company and driver, the lawsuit alleges. Doreson is represented by Andrew Finkelstein of Jacoby & Meyers Personal Injury Attorneys in Newburgh.

"This tragedy was completely preventable by the bus company and the way they either serviced the bus or managed their staff," Finkelstein told Patch.

Doreson's daughter suffered "permanent effects of pain, disability, disfigurement, and loss of body function," the lawsuit states. Finkelstein said his client hopes to obtain money correlated to the "full extent of the injuries" the girl suffered.

The teenager was discharged from the hospital but suffered multiple broken bones and facial scarring, Finkelstein said.

"The financial responsibility for the crash will be solely borne by the bus company," Finkelstein said.

Finkelstein accused the bus company of being "responsible for their driver's actions," but the lawsuit named the driver because the plaintiffs would be entitled to "certain discovery tools."

Finkelstein said "we're going to find out" if the driver did anything wrong in the crash.

A message left with Regency Transportation was not immediately returned.

"Either something happened in the way the bus driver was operating the vehicle that caused it to leave the roadway or there was some type of mechanical failure," Finkelstein said.

The lawsuit claims Regency Transportation was negligent in maintaining, repairing or inspecting its bus.

Regency Transportation, in a Monday Facebook post, said "early indications" are the cap blew off the tire, causing the crash. The new tire was made by Bridgestone, the bus company wrote. The tire came with the bus when the company purchased it, and Regency said it did not install it.

Bridgestone did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment.

"Additionally, authorities stated that if the seatbelts provided were worn, the injuries would have been minimal," Regency wrote.

The company said it has run 43 trips since the Farmingdale High School bus crash.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the people that were involved in the tragic accident that occurred [Sept. 21], and all the families," the company wrote in a post dated Sept. 22. "We are cooperating with authorities at this time."

The lawsuit says Regency Transportation and the Farmingdale School District agreed to have one of the company's buses transport the school's marching band to Pennsylvania.

The school district was not listed in the lawsuit.

"There's no evidence to support a claim against the school district," Finkelstein said. "But if one surfaces, we'll be sure to add them to the party."

The parents of another 14-year-old girl injured in the crash are planning to sue the Farmingdale School District for $12 million, according to the New York Post.