Either the driver or a chaperone yelled "duck" before a charter bus carrying mostly high school students struck an overpass in Long Island, New York, state police said today.

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The top of the bus was sheared off from the impact of the crash, which injured dozens of students. The bus was carrying high school students and traveling eastbound on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview Sunday evening when it slammed into the overpass, police said.

Commercial vehicles such as buses are not allowed on New York state parkways because the bridges are so low in certain areas.

Two 17-year-old girls suffered serious injuries and are hospitalized in "stable" condition, police said.

They are expected to be discharged in 24 to 48 hours, the hospital said.

The various injuries ranged from broken bones to cuts and scrapes, New York State Police Maj. David Candelaria said.

Besides the two girls, five people suffered moderate injuries while the remainder were minor, police said in a news release.

"I think the entire incident could have been a whole lot worse," Dr. Joshua Kugler, South Nassau Communities Hospital director of emergency services, told ABC New York City station WABC.

The hospital’s emergency room doctors expressed surprise that everyone survived the crash, authorities said.

"Fate has a lot to do with it," Kugler told WABC. "People, if they were standing on the bus at any particular time and someone became an airborne projectile, could have had a different outcome."

Forty-four people were aboard the bus: the driver, five adult chaperones and 38 students.

"Everybody was able to walk out except one, which we extricated," Lakeview Fire Department Chief Patrick McNeill said, according to WABC. "There was glass everywhere. The roof of the bus is down to the top of the seat covers."

The teens, all between ages 16 and 18, were returning from John F. Kennedy Airport after a trip to Europe and heading to meet their parents at a nearby mall when the accident happened, authorities said.

“This was treated as a mass-casualty incident,” Candelaria, the state police major, said at a news conference at the scene. “I give credit the Nassau County police ambulance bureau’s emergency services unit and the Lakeview Volunteer Fire Department. They set up a mass-casualty treatment triage and probably saved lives.

“We’re very lucky. This could have been tragic," he added.

The bus was operated by New Jersey-based Journey Bus Lines and, in a statement, the company told WABC, said, "We're not making any comments at the moment. Our greatest concern is for is for the passengers and their families."

Police said the driver was unaware of the parkway system and the lower overpasses, adding there were no calls warning them about the presence of the bus on a road where it should not have been.

The driver was using a non-commercially issued GPS device and state police still need to verify the actual route through a forensic analysis of the device and passenger interviews.

The driver did have a commercial vehicle driver's license, police said.

"I don't think he had any awareness because if you look at the damage, it's a high-impact strike," Candelaria said.

The bridge is one of the lowest, if not the lowest, on the entire system, according to WABC.

Every on-ramp to the Southern State has a warning sign about the clearance restrictions, police said.

The New York State Police Department said Gaston had a blood-alcohol level of zero and a drug evaluation is still pending.

This was not a school-sanctioned field trip, WABC reported.

Many of the high school students in the area attend Huntington High School, according to the list of victims released by police.

"While injuries apparently ranged in severity, preliminary reports indicate that all have been treated and released, or remain under treatment,” Huntington Union Free School District Superintendent James Polansky said in a statement to WABC. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with all families involved. Student support staff remain on hand at Huntington High School for those in need.”

The students traveled to Eastern Europe through Education First, a tour company that sells and coordinates travel tours for students and educators, the company confirmed in a statement regarding the bus crash.

"All of us are shocked and saddened by the serious bus accident that occurred on Southern State Parkway in New York last night; our thoughts are with those who were injured. The tour had just returned from Europe and was traveling on a chartered bus to an arranged pickup point at the time of the accident," a spokesman for Education First told ABC News. "We are doing everything we can to support the students, chaperones, and their families. We are also working with public safety officials as they conduct their investigation."

Education First also said it is conducting its own review.

The crash is under investigation by state police.

The crash does not meet the criteria for a response from the National Transportation Safety Board but the agency is monitoring the case.

ABC News' Darren Reynolds contributed to this report.</s>LAKEVIEW, N.Y. (AP) — New York State Police say a charter bus has struck a bridge overpass on Long Island.

It happened shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview.

Authorities tell Newsday that the bus was carrying dozens of teenagers and adults.

There was no immediate word on any injuries.

Photos show the entire roof of the bus mangled.</s>LAKEVIEW, N.Y. (AP) — New York State Police say a charter bus has struck a bridge overpass on Long Island.

It happened shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview.

Authorities tell Newsday that the bus was carrying dozens of teenagers and adults.

There was no immediate word on any injuries. Traffic on the parkway was halted in both directions.

Video shows the entire roof of the bus mangled. Young adult passengers are seen sitting and standing outside of the bus, some draped in blankets, as firefighters inspect the wreckage.</s>LAKEVIEW, N.Y. (AP) - New York State Police say a charter bus has struck a bridge overpass on Long Island.

It happened shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview.

Authorities tell Newsday that the bus was carrying dozens of teenagers and adults.

There was no immediate word on any injuries.

Photos show the entire roof of the bus mangled.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>A bus carrying high school students struck a highway overpass on Long Island in New York on Sunday, injuring more than 40 people, police said.

The charter bus was traveling eastbound on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview on Sunday evening when it slammed into the overpass, police said. The top of the bus was sheared off by the impact of the crash.

Commercial vehicles such as this bus are not allowed on New York State parkways because the bridges are so low in certain areas.

Forty-two people were injured in the crash, according to New York State Police Maj. David Candelaria, who described multiple of the injuries as serious.

The injuries ranged from broken bones and cuts and scrapes, Candelaria said, but he noted that at least one person had been very seriously injured.

Candelaria did not say how many students were injured, but he said there were 44 people on board, including the driver, five chaperones and 38 students.

The teens, all between ages 16 and 18, were returning from a trip to Europe and heading to meet their parents at a nearby mall when the accident happened, authorities said. It was not clear of which schools they are affiliated with.

The bus was operated New Jersey-based Journey Bus Lines, which did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.

Police told ABC's New York station WABC that the driver is not from the area and was not aware of the parkway system. The bridge is one of the lowest, if not the lowest, on the entire system, according to WABC.</s>(Reuters) - A bus carrying high school students hit a Long Island highway overpass late on Sunday, tearing the roof off the vehicle and injuring at least six people, New York State Police said.

The students and their chaperones were traveling back from John F. Kennedy International Airport after a spring break trip to eastern Europe, police said.

"There was glass everywhere," James Cardi, who was in a passing car, told the New York Post. "A majority of the kids were standing by the guardrail, but there were still people trapped inside."

One of the injured people was in a critical condition, according to the Post and other media.

The bus, carrying 38 students and six other passengers, hit the overpass on the Southern State Parkway, police said.

The vehicle's operator, Journey Bus Line, of Irvington, New Jersey, could not immediately be reached for comment.</s>A bus carrying high school students struck a highway overpass on Long Island in New York on Sunday, injuring more than 40 people, police said.The charter bus was traveling eastbound on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview on Sunday evening when it slammed into the overpass, police said. The top of the bus was sheared off by the impact of the crash.Commercial vehicles such as this bus are not allowed on New York State parkways because the bridges are so low in certain areas.New York State Police Maj. David Candelaria described multiple of the injuries as serious, adding that some of the passengers had to be extricated."This was treated as a mass-casualty incident," Candelaria said at a press conference at the scene. "I give credit the Nassau County police ambulance bureau's emergency services unit and the Lakeview Volunteer Fire Department. They set up a mass-casualty treatment triage and probably saved lives."We're very lucky. This could have been tragic," he added.The injuries ranged from broken bones and cuts and scrapes, Candelaria said.Two of the injuries were serious, five were moderate and the remainder were minor, police said in a press release.Forty-four people were on board the bus, including the driver, five chaperones and 38 students.The teens, all between ages 16 and 18, were returning from a trip to Europe and heading to meet their parents at a nearby mall when the accident happened, authorities said. It was not clear which schools they were affiliated with.The bus was operated New Jersey-based Journey Bus Lines, which did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.Police told ABC's New York station WABC that the driver is not from the area and was not aware of the parkway system. The bridge is one of the lowest, if not the lowest, on the entire system, according to WABC The New York State Police Department said the driver would undergo drug and alcohol testing.The crash is under investigation.</s>42 people were injured, two seriously, after a bus accident on the Southern State Parkway on Long Island in New York.The top of the bus was sheared off after hitting an overpass near Exit 19 in Lakeview on Sunday just after 9 p.m.In addition to the two seriously injured, five others are said to have moderate injuries. The rest suffered minor injuries.The commercial bus from Journey Bus Tours was traveling eastbound from JFK Airport. Thirty eight students, five chaperones and one driver were all on the bus at the time of the crash. The students had been on a European trip and were headed to the Walt Whitman Mall in Huntington Station.Police say that driver, Troy D. Gaston of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was not aware of the parkway system and the lower overpasses. He was driving for Journey Bus Line."I don't think he had any awareness, because if you look at the damage it's a high-impact strike. He made it all the way through," said Maj. David Candelaria, New York State Police. "We're very lucky. This could have been tragic."The New York State Police are asking anyone who witnessed the collision to please contact 631-756-3300.</s>A bus carrying more than 40 passengers, mostly high school students returning from a spring break trip to Europe, struck a bridge overpass Sunday night on a Long Island parkway where commercial vehicles are prohibited because of low-clearance bridges.

Images from the scene show the roof of the white bus sheared off. Police said it was a high impact crash that sent the bus all the way through the overpass and out the other side.

“We’re very lucky,” said Maj. David Candelaria of the New York State Police. “This could’ve been tragic.”

The crash occurred shortly after 9 p.m. Eastern Time on the Southern State Parkway at Eagle Avenue. Six people were seriously injured and 37 suffered lesser injuries such as cuts and bruises, Candelaria said at a news conference. He estimated the height of the clearance to be less than 10 feet.

The bus was transporting 38 students, aged 16 to 18, and five adult chaperons from John F. Kennedy International Airport to a mall where parents were waiting to pick their children up, Candelaria said.

One person sustained very serious injuries, which included broken bones and soft tissue injuries, officials said. Most passengers exited the bus on their own, but Candelaria said some did have to be extricated from the wreckage. Those with injuries were transported to five local hospitals, he said.

Candelaria said the crash was treated as a “mass casualty incident,” adding that more than 10 ambulance companies from around Nassau County responded to the scene. “They set up a mass casualty treatment triage and probably saved lives,” he said.

Video footage from the scene showed empty stretchers and first responders surrounding the front of the bus as red lights from multiple emergency vehicles reflected off the bus’s white exterior. The bus was stopped between the right lane and the road’s shoulder. Seats were visible where windows used to be. Glass and debris littered the road, and passengers could be seen along the grassy shoulder huddled in groups or pacing aimlessly.

The bus driver is not from the Long Island area and may not have known that commercial vehicles are not allowed on the parkway, Candelaria said. The bus is owned by Journey Bus Lines, a New Jersey-based company, he said.

“I don’t think he had any awareness because if you look at the damage, it’s a high-impact strike,” he said, adding that the incident remains under investigation.

This is not the first time an oversized vehicle has struck the Eagle Avenue bridge.

With a height of just under 8 feet, the overpass “has one of the lowest clearances of any bridge on any Long Island parkway,” the Baldwin Herald reported in 2015. It is struck from beneath by tall vehicles an average of three times per year, according to the news site.

In December, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced a $4.3 million project to install an electronic warning system that detects when oversized vehicles enter parkways. “New York State parkways traditionally have bridges that are lower than the standard legal bridge clearance,” said a statement from the governor’s office.

Detectors were to be positioned at the top of ramps and “relay an invisible beam that is set at a specific bridge clearance height for the area, the statement said. When an oversized vehicle tripped the sensor, it would trigger a warning message on a full-color LED sign display that alerts the driver of imminent bridge strikes. The system would also send an alert to the state’s Department of Transportation, which would then notify state police, according to the Baldwin Herald.

“The impact to the overpass was significant,” Candelaria said after Sunday’s bus crash. “It wasn’t just a bump. If you look at the bus from the side, it’s got substantial damage.”</s>- A charter bus carrying teenagers returning from a spring break trip Sunday night struck a bridge overpass on Long Island, seriously injuring six passengers and mangling the entire length of the top of the bus.

The crash happened shortly after 9 p.m. Sunday on the Southern State Parkway in Lakeview, according to New York State Police.

One of the six injured passengers had very serious injuries, said State Police Maj. David Candelaria. Thirty-seven other passengers suffered minor injuries.

We'll have new video of the accident scene on Channel 2 Action News This Morning

"Everybody was able to walk out except one, which we extricated," Lakeview Fire Department Chief Patrick McNeill told Newsday. "There was glass everywhere. The roof of the bus is down to the top of the seat covers."

Video shows teenagers sitting and standing outside of the white damaged bus, some draped in blankets, as firefighters inspect the wreckage. Multiple ambulances and fire trucks responded to the scene.

The 38 students from various Long Island high schools, along with five chaperones, had just returned from John F. Kennedy International Airport and were heading to a shopping mall to meet up with parents, police said.

Police said the driver was being evaluated and did not seem to be familiar with commercial vehicle restrictions on the parkway.

The minimum clearance on the parkway is 7 feet, 10 inches (2.38 meters) and accidents involving vehicles striking overpasses is not uncommon on the parkway. In 2017, there were reports that an electronic alarm system would be installed on the parkway to warn drivers of vehicles too high for the overpass.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A school charter bus traveling illegally on a parkway on Long Island, New York, collides with a bridge. Dozens of students are injured.