An Investigator views the scene of a school bus crash today in Chesterfield, NJ. (AP)
CHESTERFIELD, NJ — The triplet daughter of a New Jersey state trooper was killed and her sibling critically injured Thursday when a school bus carrying 25 children was hit by a dump truck, WTXF-TV reported.
The accident in Chesterfield, NJ, left 19 students hurt, and two of them suffered life-threatening injuries, a police official said.
A sibling of the child killed was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. The third triplet reportedly suffered minor injuries.
The trooper was identified as Anthony Tesla, and he lives very close to the accident scene, according to WTXF. The Tesla family was reportedly at the bedside of the second triplet praying for the child’s recovery.
During a press conference, Sgt. Brian Polite with the New Jersey State Police did not release any of the victims’ identities, other than to confirm that the student killed was an 11-year-old female.
The school bus was carrying 25 students to Chesterfield Elementary School, about 30 miles northeast of Philadelphia.
An investigation into what caused the crash was ongoing, but officials said the truck struck the bus on the driver’s side, causing the bus to hit a light post.
No charges have been filed as yet.
The school was operating on a normal day schedule, Superintendent Ellen McHenry said, but afterschool activities have been canceled.
The school, which was scheduled to be closed Friday for the President’s Day weekend, will open in the morning for grief counseling sessions.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie offered “thoughts and prayers” to those involved in the accident.
“We are awaiting further details, but we are deeply concerned for the students on the bus and their families and can only imagine what they’ve been dealing with in the immediate aftermath of the crash,” Christie said.