Highway Access Gate Installed 10 Months After Farmingdale Bus Crash

ORANGE COUNTY, NY — A crash gate newly installed on Interstate 84 in the mid-Hudson Valley is a direct response to the horrific bus crash that killed two and injured more than 40 others last year.

"This will save lives," U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday. "Last year’s tragic bus crash in Orange County showed we need to prioritize safety along I-84. The tragic crash which caused us to lose two beloved Long Island educators and injured dozens of Farmingdale students was just one of many horrific accidents along this roadway."

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

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.

A crash gate, or emergency vehicles-only access road, had been proposed for the stretch of highway more than a decade earlier, but the original proposal was never finalized.

After the crash, Gov. Kathy Hochul committed working with local, state and federal resources to bring a new access point to reality. Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Pat Ryan called on the Federal Highway Administration, which has final say over the nation's highway system, to cooperate as state and community officials worked on a new proposal, saying there were numerous motor vehicle accidents and incidents on the highway in the 10-mile stretch between the Goshen and Mountain Road exits.

The request was granted by the Federal Highway Administration earlier this year and the State Department of Transportation immediately began coordinating with the Town of Wawayanda to expedite construction on the crash gates, state officials said Wednesday.

A formal maintenance agreement between the State Department of Transportation and the Town of Wawayanda cleared the way for the installation. Under the agreement, the state DOT designed and installed a new entranceway and access gate at County Route 49 that will provide local emergency service vehicles with direct access to Interstate 84; and the town agreed to maintain the entranceway and ramp and ensure that designated emergency service vehicles are able to use it to reach the highway. Access to the eastbound side is available via an existing turnaround near the access gate, state officials said.

"This access gate makes this stretch of roadway safer, and provides a faster, more direct way for first responders to reach Interstate 84 and save lives," Hochul said in the announcement Wednesday.

Some of the students injured in the crash last September are still struggling with physical and emotional injuries, Farmingdale Superintendent Paul Defendini told Patch before a July fundraiser by the Over the Hill Gang Softball League.

SEE ALSO:

• 2 Dead, Including Farmingdale HS Band Director, In Bus Crash
• Farmingdale 'Deeply Mourns' Educators Killed In Bus Crash
• Federal Lawmakers Call For Crash Gate On I-84 After Fatal Bus Accident
• Pianist Raises $6.6K For LI Band Director Killed In Bus Crash
• Dad Of HS Band Student Files Suit Against Bus Company
• Atty: District 'Failed To Do Their Due Dilgence' Ahead Of Bus Crash
• Farmingdale Fundraiser To Benefit Students Hurt In High School Bus Crash