Young woman in critical condition after collision with school bus

There were no children on the bus, but the accident backed up Route 1 for hours.

By: Jessica Beym
   A woman in her late teens was critically injured when her 2005 Hyundai Accent collided with a school bus at the intersection of Route 1 and Route 522 on Wednesday afternoon.
   The bus was on its way to Crossroads South and was not carrying students at the time of the crash. The drivers of both vehicles were transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. The driver of the Hyundai — Roxanne Guzman, 19, of South Brunswick — was listed in critical condition, police said. The bus driver — Dale Henry, 43, of Hamilton — was being evaluated for possible injuries.
   Detective James Ryan, spokesman for the South Brunswick Police Department, said police were called to the scene at 2:55 p.m. He said the bus was traveling north on Route 1 and was scheduled to pick up students at Crossroads South Middle School. The bus was owned by Laidlaw, a Trenton company that provides busing services to the district bus.
   The Hyundai was traveling west on Route 522 when the collision occurred.
   The woman was trapped in the Hyundai for about 30 minutes before being extricated with the Jaws of Life by the Monmouth Junction Fire Department, Detective Ryan said.
   Both vehicles remained in the intersection for more than two hours after the accident. Northbound traffic on Route 1 was closed until 5:30 p.m. Traffic on Route 1 was backed up for approximately seven miles, Detective Ryan said. Traffic on several of the surrounding roads, including Ridge Road, Stouts Lane and Route 522, were backed up during rush hour because of the accident.
   School District Public Information Officer Rebecca Leonard said the district contacted the bus company and a substitute bus and driver was sent to pick up the children. She said there was a five-minute delay in the pickup.
   Detective Ryan said police are investigating the cause of the accident. Witnesses are asked to contact the South Brunswick Police Department’s Traffic Bureau at (732) 329-4000, ext. 7472. Patrolman Ken Drost is investigating.