A Queens-bound bus crashed on rain-slicked I-95 yesterday morning, injuring nearly two dozen passengers returning from a Connecticut casino, officials said.
The bus, carrying 23 people, hit the center median near Exit 16 in New Rochelle at about 6:18 a.m. and careened across three lanes of traffic before smashing into the right-hand barrier, cops said.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, but State Police Sgt. William Collins said it appears that the rainy weather and speed were factors.
No one was killed and none of the injuries was deemed life-threatening.
Driver Wei Chen suffered the most serious injuries, with deep lacerations to his arms and legs.
First responders found Chen, who has a clean driving record, dazed and bloodied on the side of the highway.
He might have been ejected from the bus, said New Rochelle Fire Chief Louis DiMeglio.
“There was a language barrier, so we couldn’t interview the other passengers to see what happened,” said DiMeglio.
Passenger Hsien Chen, 57, a card dealer at Foxwoods, where the bus was coming from, had been napping before the crash.
“I woke up because I saw the bus just shaking, just hit the left wall . . . After, I just shuddered,” she said. “Then suddenly, they changed to the right-hand side, hit again. That was powerful.”
Hsien Chen had cuts on her mouth and lips, as well as injuries to her head, back and neck.
“I need a rest and then I’ll try to use a Chinese herbal pack,” she said.
Star Tag, the company that owns the Flushing-bound bus, has a “satisfactory” safety rating from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
But it has also racked up several violations, including four for driver fatigue.
Last March, a bus headed to New York City from Mohegan Sun crashed on I-95, killing 15 people.