Additional I-84 Access Point In Orange County Is Needed: Officials

WAWAYANDA, NY — Members of the Slate Hill Fire Department, as well as other area companies, were dispatched to the scene of the charter bus crash Thursday on Interstate 84 in Wawayanda.

The bus, carrying 40 students and four adults, went off the road, overturned and ended up going down a 50-foot ravine. Two adults — a Farmingdale High School band teacher and a retired educator — were killed; more than 40 people suffered injuries.

First responders had to travel about five to 10 minutes out of their way in order to find a turnaround access point. They then had to travel back another five to 10 minutes to reach the site of the crash, according to Slate Hill Fire Chief Mike Dally.

At a news conference at the Slate Hill Fire Department Monday, the chief said that each and every minute after a crash is crucial.

Having what is called a “crash gate” on I-84 “will cut valuable time off the initial response,” Dally said.

A crash gate is a non-public access point along highways that allows emergency vehicles to respond faster to a crash scene.

State Senator James Skoufis, D-42nd District, said this was not a new issue.

He said Slate Hill and other companies have been asking for a crash gate for more than 20 years because there are more than 10 miles of roadway between other access points.

“Every minute, every second matters and counts,” Skoufis said during the news conference.

He said he and other officials are calling on the full powers of the governor’s office and the state Department of Transportation to convince the Federal Highway Administration, which has final say over the nation's highway system, to bring the new access point to reality.

“This isn’t something the firefighters would like to have,” Skoufis said. “They need this to do their job.”