Federal Lawmakers Call For Crash Gate On I-84 After Fatal Bus Accident

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Following the bus crash last month on Interstate 84 in Orange County that tragically killed two adults and injured dozens of Farmingdale High School students, federal lawmakers called on the Federal Highway Administration for a "crash gate" on the heavily-traveled highway.

A crash gate, or emergency vehicles-only access road, was first proposed over a decade ago, but the original proposal was never finalized.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and Rep. Pat Ryan said as state and community officials work on a proposal now, the FHWA must cooperate.

"Our heroic first responders have been calling for this to happen for years — I won’t stop until we get it done," Ryan said.

Schumer said the crash "rightfully has residents across New York concerned about the safety of Interstate 84 and the resources for first responders.

“We are urging the Federal Highway Administration to support New York State, the Slate Hill Fire District and local officials in improving emergency response times on I-84 by greenlighting this long desired safety project to create an emergency vehicles-only access road. In an emergency every minute and second counts, and it is vital that our communities have every resource available so our first responders can save lives in Orange County and beyond."

Farmingdale High School band director Gina Pellittiere and retired teacher Beatrice Ferarri died when a bus carrying them and marching band students tumbled into a 50-foot ravine Sept. 21. Five students were critically injured and more than 40 were injured. They were in a convoy of six buses taking students to band camp in Pennsylvania from the district on Long Island.

New York State Police said a preliminary investigation indicated a failure of a front tire on the bus may have contributed to the crash.

Schumer, Gillibrand, and Ryan said there are numerous motor vehicle accidents and incidents that happen on the highway in the 10-mile stretch between the Goshen and Mountain Road exits.

Currently, the Slate Hill Fire District’s trucks can only access that part of the highway in a roundabout way. The closest entrance is four miles from the firehouse, requiring its trucks to travel into another neighboring fire district just to enter the interstate.

According to the Slate Hill Fire District Chief, a first responders-only access road between the eastbound and westbound roadways would have shortened their response time to September's bus crash by 5 to 10 minutes.

“The Orange County bus crash was a horrific tragedy, and I’m committed to doing everything in my power to help emergency personnel respond more quickly to these types of accidents in the future,” said Gillibrand.

"It shouldn’t take a crash or catastrophe to get our state and federal agencies to act, but here we are. Local officials and first responders in Wawayanda have been calling for installation of a new emergency access point along this more than 10-mile stretch of interstate for over 20 years," said State Senator James Skoufis. "And while our first responders did nothing short of heroic work to tend to those involved in the recent Farmingdale bus rollover, they need our help to do their jobs even more effectively — that starts with this long-overdue crash gate."

Here is Schumer, Gillibrand, and Ryan’s joint letter to the Federal Highway Administration:

Dear Administrator Bhatt,

We write to request that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) assist New York State and the Slate Hill Fire District with the creation of an emergency vehicles-only access road, also known as a “crash gate,” on Interstate 84 (I-84) in Orange County, New York. In an emergency every minute, and second counts and establishing a crash gate would allow first responders to access accidents on I-84 in a more expeditious manner.

On September 21, 2023, a charter bus carrying marching band members from Farmingdale High School and their chaperones overturned on I-84 in Orange County, New York. This crash, which killed two adults and critically injured at least five students, demonstrates the troubling lack of access to I-84 that currently exists for first responders in the area. The Slate Hill Fire District’s closest entrance to I-84 is four miles from the firehouse, requiring its trucks to travel into another neighboring fire district just to enter the interstate. Once they do, the trucks must then circle back into their own jurisdiction to actually access the scene of an incident. It is clear that this long-standing problem must finally be resolved, which is why the local community and the New York State Department of Transportation are working together once again to submit a new request for a crash gate.

It is our understanding that this is not the first time the lack of a “crash gate” on I-84 has caused great difficulty for emergency responders to act. Years ago, Orange County was faced with another devastating crash – causing public outcry for a “crash gate.” Although New York State submitted plans for a crash gate, the project was never finalized between NYSDOT and FHWA. If such a crash gate had been available last week, according to the Chief of the Slate Hill Fire District, first responders could have gotten to the bus crash “between 5 to 10 minutes sooner.” Thus, as New York State and local officials finalize their request to FHWA, we urge you to work with New York State and the Slate Hill Fire District to create a “crash gate” to improve emergency response times on I-84. Such a crash gate would be a first responders-only access road, and would greatly improve response times going forward.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

SEE ALSO:

• Farmingdale 'Deeply Mourns' Educators Killed In Bus Crash
• Pianist Raises $6.6K For LI Band Director Killed In Bus Crash
• Dad Of HS Band Student Files Suit Against Bus Company