An employee shuttle bus crashed into a concrete wall on the upper level of Terminal B at Newark Liberty International Airport in the early hours of Monday, leaving more than a dozen people injured. According to News 12 New York and Eyewitness News ABC7NY, the crash happened at around 3:30 in the morning on the third level, the departures level, where police taped off the area as they investigated and crews began working to clear the scene.
Port Authority officials said 13 people were injured in the crash. According to the reports, three of those injuries were described as serious but none were life-threatening, while the other 10 were considered minor. The broadcasters noted that some of those hurt had to be rushed to the hospital, and reporters said questions remained about the extent of the injuries, including whether the driver of the bus was among those hurt.
According to News 12 and ABC7NY, the vehicle was an employee shuttle bus that had been transporting airport workers when it apparently veered off to the right and struck the concrete wall on the third level of Terminal B. Video from the scene showed the front of the bus smashed with its glass broken, and reporters said the windshield, the driver-side window and the door where passengers get on and off all appeared to be smashed.
The crash forced officials to close the upper level of Terminal B to drop-offs. According to the broadcasters, everyone bringing someone to Terminal B for a departure was being diverted down to Level 2, while travelers could still access the terminal through the first two levels, in some cases on foot. Both stations stressed that flights themselves were not being impacted by the incident.
Emergency services, including Port Authority police, responded to the scene, and the investigation was continuing throughout the morning. According to ABC7NY, it was not yet clear what exactly caused the crash or whether any other vehicles were involved, with reporters repeatedly raising the question of why the driver appeared to miss the off-ramp and veer to the right into the wall.
Clearing the wreck proved difficult, according to the reports. News 12 and ABC7NY said a heavy-duty tow truck and a crane were brought in, and from the air it looked as though crews would have to lift the shuttle bus off the edge of the concrete where it had become lodged after crashing. Reporters also pointed to police tape on Level 2, where some debris had fallen from above.
With Newscopter 7 and reporters stationed at Terminal B, both broadcasters treated the crash as a developing story and said they would continue to follow the investigation and its impact on travel at the airport. As the morning rush hour built up, they urged travelers to pack their patience and allow extra time, noting that the removal and investigation looked set to take quite a while longer.