Final NTSB Report On Deadly Rollover Crash Of Charter Bus Carrying HS Band Released

ORANGE COUNTY, NY — The NTSB has released its final report into the 2023 deadly crash of a charter bus carrying a high school marching band.

The NTSB concluded that worn and under-inflated tires caused the crash, but said that if the available safety belts had been used, loss of life could have been prevented.

On September 21, 2023, at 1:12 p.m., the 2014 Prevost H3-45 motorcoach operated by Regency Transportation was headed west on I-84 in Wawayanda when tragedy stuck, due to the left-front tire failing.

As a result of the tire failure, the motorcoach was abruptly pulled to the left, crossed the left lane and shoulder, penetrated a roadside cable barrier, traveled down into the median, and rolled before coming to rest on its left side. The motorcoach was occupied by a 59-year-old driver, 40 high school students, and 3 adult chaperones. Two adult chaperones were ejected and fatally injured. The driver was ejected and seriously injured, 14 other occupants sustained serious injuries, and 27 had minor injuries.

The band director of the Farmingdale High School marching band and a teacher were both killed in the crash. The victims were identified as 77-year-old Beatrice Ferarri, of Farmingdale, and 43-year-old Gina Pellettiere, of Massapequa.

See: 'My Nightmare,' NTSB Releases Survivor Interviews On Deadly High School Bus Crash

Following the the tragedy that rocked a Long Island community, the New York Legislature passed new laws requiring charter buses be equipped with seat belts and mandating their use. The law took effect in April 2025.

The NTSB report found that the use of safety belts may well have saved lives in this case.

"In this crash, only one passenger was confirmed to have been wearing the available lap/shoulder belt at the time of the crash. This passenger—a student—sustained only minor injuries and was the only occupant from the first three rows who was not ejected," the final report by the NTSB concluded. "The other five occupants in this area, including the driver, were ejected and sustained fatal or serious injuries. Had the occupants been using their lap/shoulder belts, they would not have been ejected, reducing their level of injury. Their impacts inside the motorcoach would have also been reduced, further reducing their potential injuries."

Crash investigators also recommended safety measures that could have helped prevent the crash in the first place.

"A properly configured tire pressure monitoring system can alert vehicle operators to under- or overinflated tires," the NTSB found. "Periodic tire pressure gauge checks—beyond visual inspection—should be undertaken as a part of a vehicle inspection in the event that a tire pressure monitoring system is not configured or functioning properly."

Six buses were transporting the Dalers marching band for its annual band camp trip to Pine Valley Camp in Greeley, Pennsylvania when one of the buses crashed. The ripple effects on the close-knit Long Island community are still being felt nearly two years later.

See Also:

• Thank You, 'Ms. P': Honoring The Music Teacher And Her Impact On Us
• Federal Lawmakers Call For Crash Gate On I-84 After Fatal Bus Accident
• 'Remarkable': Farmingdale HS Marching Band Performs 2 Weeks After Tragic Bus Crash
• Remembering Gina Pellettiere: Farmingdale Band Students Share Memories
• Farmingdale HS Marching Band Performs 2 Weeks After Tragic Bus Crash
• 'Life Of The Party': Beloved Farmingdale Music Teacher Laid To Rest
• 'The Most Beautiful Soul': Farmingdale's Bea Ferrari Mourned
• McDonald's To Donate To Farmingdale HS Marching Band
• LI Students Critically Injured In Bus Crash In 'Less Critical Care'