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NEW YORK — Two people were killed and dozens of others were injured after a coach bus overturned and crossed into oncoming traffic on the Long Island Expressway in Queens late Monday night, creating a massive traffic backup.
The crash happened around 11:45 p.m. on the westbound Long Island Expressway in New York City.
The chartered bus was an airport shuttle, occupied by the crew of Royal Jordanian Flight 8261, which arrived from Amman Jordan at Kennedy Airport just before 9:45 p.m.
The crew was on the way to their hotel.
According to officials, the westbound coach bus first collided with two vehicles before striking the center divider. The bus then overturned into the eastbound lanes, where it crashed into two additional vehicles.
The driver of the bus and one passenger were pronounced dead.
The driver of one of the vehicles traveling in the eastbound lanes was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Three other drivers involved in the crash were reported to be stable.
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About two dozen passengers aboard the bus were taken to hospitals to be evaluated for injuries.
Sources say the deceased driver has seven prior arrests, including for burglary, sexual abuse and forcible touching. He was a registered level 2 sex offender.
He had a valid driver’s license but had seven moving violations, although none while he was a professional driver.
Among the violations were two for speeding, two for disobeying a traffic control device and one for dangerous driving.
New York affiliate W reached out to his employer but we have not yet heard back.
Royal Jordanian Airlines released a statement saying in part that it does not have full details yet and is actively monitoring and coordinating with authorities.
The crash shut down the Long Island Expressway in both directions for hours, causing major traffic delays as emergency crews worked to clear the wreckage and investigators processed the scene.
All lanes of the Long Island Expressway have since reopened after crews cleared the crash scene.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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