Tears flowed on the campus of a Long Island high school Friday, just a day after a tragic bus crash on the north side killed two beloved teachers and seriously injured five students.
A candlelit memorial burned outside Farmingdale High School as students — including teenagers in an ill-fated six-bus caravan to a band camp in Pennsylvania — returned to campus for the first time.
One of the buses came to a sudden stop on I-84 in upstate New York shortly before 1:20 p.m. Thursday, killing band director Gina Pellettiere, a 43-year-old single mother, and Beatrice Ferrari, 77, a history teacher known as “grandma” of the band.
“Beatrice was a mother, a grandmother, a friend, a wife,” a family friend said outside the Ferrari home on Friday. “He was a teacher for about 37 years, about 26 of those years were spent in Farmingdale.
“Everyone adored him – his students, his children,” he said. “As a teacher, he believes in all his students and makes them their full potential. He is honest and fair and epitomizes the character of a person.”
Ferrari often serves as a chaperone on band trips to camps or to state and district music competitions, according to Newsday.
Gina Pellettiere, band director for Farmingdale High School, was killed in a bus crash on Thursday.
Pellettiere is pictured here on the morning of the fatal accident, about to board the bus.
This year’s trip took a tragic turn when a bus carrying 40 band members from Farmingdale to Pine Valley Camp in Greeley, Pa., veered off the highway near Waareened in Orange County and fell 50 feet into a ravine.
Gov. Kathy Hochul called it a “day of fear.”
Nassau County police and school security officials blocked reporters as students and parents returned to school for the first time since the tragedy. A sign mounted next to six burning candles read, “We Love You So Much.”
Manishe Patelout’s mother, who dropped off her 9th grade son, questioned whether classes should have been cancelled.
Beatrice Ferrari (circled) teaches history at Farmingdale High School.
“But maybe it’s good for support,” he said.
Superintendent of Schools Paul Defendini said in a letter to the district parent counselors will be available at the school.
“We understand that each of us will grieve in our own way,” Defendini wrote. “I shared with our students earlier and our staff a few minutes ago that the best thing we can do is give hugs and make sure everyone in this community has the support they need.”
The Farmingdale resident described both Ferrari and Pellettiere as dedicated teachers who always tried to inspire their students.
“What will happen to our group?” student Lucas Castillo Marquez said in an interview with News 12.
The bus overturned after exiting the freeway Thursday afternoon.©New York Post
Photos from the scene show the horrific aftermath, with the bus on its side at the bottom of a slope surrounded by trees.CBS 2 New York
“It was a big part of my high school career,” he said, trying to hold back tears. “For our director not to be here anymore, I never expected it.”
The Farmingdale resident described both Pellettiere and Ferrari as devoted teachers who always tried to inspire their students.
Ferrari started her career in Brooklyn, then moved to Farmingdale, where her daughter, Dina Lopresto, said she would spend extra time with struggling students to get them to graduation.
In 2012, she was honored by the Town of Oyster Bay as a “Woman of Distinction.”
The bus overturned in Wawayanda, New York.
“He has touched the lives of thousands of young adults who have passed through Farmingdale High School, instilling many strong and positive qualities in each of his students,” city officials said in a transcript of the ceremony.
“He not only encouraged his students to do their best, but also guided teachers who passed through the district,” they said, noting that former students always greeted Ferrari with love and respect.
At home, Ferrari is known as “the glue of this family,” Lopresto said.
Pellettiere, meanwhile, “really loves what he does,” said Jason Crachetti, who worked with him in the Huntington school district before he got the job in Farmingdale.
The bus was one of six in a convoy from Farmingdale High School.©New York Post
“It’s obvious he loves what he does, and the kids love him,” he told Newsday.
According to his biography on the website for Nassau-Suffolk Performing Arts, Pellettiere earned a bachelor of music degree in music education and a master’s degree in wind from Hofstra University on Long Island.
He is a member of several professional music educators associations, serves as chairman of the Nassau All-County Division 5 Symphonic Band and is a guest conductor for both the Nassau and Suffolk All-County Festivals.
Aerial photo shows the aftermath of the crash that killed two people.©New York Post
Under his leadership at Farmingdale High School, his elite Level VI Wind Ensemble performed at the New York State School Music Association’s Festival of Large Organizations, earning numerous honors from the organization.
Pellettiere is also a single mother.
“She was a great mom to Joseph — she was always doing things with him, taking him everywhere,” a neighbor told News 12. “She’s been to more places than I have.”
Farmingdale students on another bus were greeted with hugs when they returned Thursday night.News12 Long Island
“I’m shocked to hear about this, it’s just devastating.”
The students were on their way to Pine Forest Camp in Greeley, Pa., which rents facilities on its grounds, when the bus overturned.
The fatal crash appeared to be the result of a “defective front tire,” Hochul said at a news conference Thursday night.
A candlelight vigil was erected in front of the high school Thursday evening.News12 Long Island
Pictures from the scene show the horrific aftermath, with the bus on its side at the bottom of a slope surrounded by trees. First responders apparently used a ladder to climb over the side of the bus to help the victim.
Farmingdale High School provided counselors and support staff for students and staff all day Friday.
On Friday evening, officials from the National Transit Safety Board arrived at the scene to conduct their own federal investigation for the next five to seven days.
NTSB investigator John Humm told reporters the agency will investigate three different categories of factors in the crash:
- Vehicle factors, such as mechanical problems with the bus or tires;
- Factor motor carriers such as drivers and bus companies and how they comply with federal regulations;
- and survival factors such as “bus general crashworthiness” and emergency response.
“Generally in many accidents, there is more than one cause, so there may be several factors that cause an accident like this,” Humm said.
“Our goal is to find out what happened, why it happened and to make safety recommendations to reduce the chance of accidents like this happening again.”
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