(The following article by Jennifer S. Lee and Sarah Garland was posted on the New York Times website on August 12.)
WEEHAWKEN, N.J. — A light-rail train on New Jersey’s Hudson-Bergen line derailed after colliding with a New Jersey Transit bus last night in Weehawken, N.J., sending 13 people to the hospital — three with serious injuries, a New Jersey Transit official said.
The crash happened about 6:45, near the end of the evening rush, at 19th Street and Harbor Boulevard, said Dan Stessel, a spokesman for New Jersey Transit. Both vehicles remained upright, but three people were pinned inside the vehicles, including the bus and train operators, who were seriously hurt.
A female bus passenger had to be extracted by the North Hudson Fire Department and suffered no serious injuries, according to officials.
Another female bus passenger, the third to suffer serious injuries, was ejected from the bus, Mr. Stessel said. The 13 injured people were taken to Jersey City Medical Center, Palisades Medical Center, Hackensack University Medical Center and St. Mary’s Hospital, Mr. Stessel said, adding that two other passengers refused medical treatment at the scene.
Investigators had not determined the cause of the crash and planned to examine a log of the crossing signals as well as the onboard computer from the light-rail train.
“What impacted what first, it’s hard to tell,” said David Curtis, deputy chief of fire and rescue for the North Hudson region.
Light-rail service was suspended between Ninth Street in Hoboken and Port Imperial Station in Weehawken as of last night, with alternative bus service available. Officials expected to have service restored by this morning.
The bus operator had 14 years of service and 6,000 driving hours with no serious prior accidents, Mr. Stessel said. The light-rail operator had more than a year of experience with no serious accidents.
The light train was on its way from Hoboken Terminal to Tonnelle Avenue, while the bus was on the 190 line from Paterson to the Port Authority in Manhattan with about 10 passengers.
The train, part of the Hudson-Bergen rail system that opened in 2001, is one of the largest public works projects in New Jersey. It is popular with commuters and has revitalized both residential and commercial development along its route.