Boy, 16, Dies After Hitting Head on Overpass in Fort Lee
Teenager was killed after he stuck his head out of the vehicle's roof hatch, official says.
Photos
A 16-year-old boy from Sayreville riding on a bus full of teenagers heading to a Sweet 16 was killed Friday after he stuck his head out of a roof hatch on the bus and hit an overpass as the vehicle drove on Interstate 95 southbound, near the George Washington Bridge, an official said.
The teenager suffered severe trauma when he hit his head on the Fletcher Avenue overpass as the double-decker party bus traveled into New Jersey from Queens between 6:30 and 6:45 p.m., said Port Authority Police spokesman Al Della Fave. The boy was pronounced dead at Hackensack University Medical Center around 7 p.m.
The victim was identified by a law enforcement source as Daniel Fernandez.
Many of the distraught bus passengers ran onto the highway after the incident, Della Fave said. A Port Authority police lieutenant managed to “commandeer” another bus and bring the young people to safety at the agency’s Fort Lee office. No one else on board was injured.
The roof hatch was found bent back into the vehicle, Della Fave said.
A driver and an assistant were also on board during the incident, along with 65 teenagers, he said. It was not immediately clear if the group was associated with a single school or organization.
Worried parents arrived at the Port Authority’s Fort Lee administration building late Friday.
“We just want to get our kids,” said one woman, who declined to give her name.
Another man, who said his son was on the bus, was visibly shaken to learn that someone had died in the accident, although he said he didn't know the victim.
As parents whisked their kids out the side door of the Port Authority building and into their cars, a group of three girls was seen crying and hugging, apparently comforting one another, but waved reporters off.
As news of the tragedy spread, teens posted messages of grief on Twitter.
"I want to wake up this morning and be able to change everything. I wish there was something I could do to stop this," user @A_coolestgirl tweeted.
"Sitting here with your blood on my foot wishing this was all a bad dream. I love you so much dan you were there for me till the last second," @VBudz posted.
The bus company, New York-based Designer Limousines, did not respond to calls for comment.
All southbound lanes of the highway were closed in the area as authorities continued to investigate late Friday, according to the state Department of Transportation. Delays were reported on the westbound lanes of the George Washington Bridge.
Updated 11 p.m. Friday.
Mark
9:57 pm on Friday, August 31, 2012
I hope that everybody is ok
Shorty Elf
7:36 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
there not daniel died were all wrecked at prep
Kenny josephs
12:56 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Deepest sympathy to all and his parents just to young to be alone on there.the bus company should be able to control the crowd if they had the right amount of people working on it. This company has had problem's like this in the past in long island and they weren't even insured.
pbs
1:19 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
know before you speak1 bus comp is great
Tax payer
7:05 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
It is a party bus, not a school bus, you want a monitor on it?
You sound like a person who would sue your own mother for anything, not a concerned person.
pbs
1:18 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
dont agree with above comment !not the bus' he told them earlier dont play with latch for emergency only! 16yr olds do dumb things terrible tragic and rip daniel fernandez ; your family will never forget your smile!
Margo Jensen
7:33 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
Maybe an alert signal or sound should be hooked up to this latch. The bus driver and or monitor can act fast. If it is a piercing sound a person might jump back. Am so sorry for the Fernandez family and all those who knew and loved Daniel.
Shorty Elf
7:35 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
daniel rest in peace you will be truly missed prep will not be the same without you but you will always be part of the franciscan family. i remeber taking the 88 bus with you home we never talked but if i knew that this would happen id make every word like my last. RIP dan "the man" hernandez
Paul Umrichin
11:53 am on Saturday, September 1, 2012
It's a sad event when a kid does something stupid like this and pays the price. It's even more sad of a social commentary that everyone wants to blame the bus and driver or anyone else but the kid. It's the kid's fault. Its unfortunate, but the party bus is just there to be hired for people to go out and have fun not to be baby proofed in case a teenager ignored the rules and this happens. Sorry to the family, friends, and especially the girl whose birthday it was. Other than his parents she is going to be the most affected in the long run mentally.
Andrea
8:25 am on Sunday, September 2, 2012
perfect comment, that sums it up for me! My heart goes out to the family and friends of Dan...
Baba O'Riley
11:42 am on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Paul, I could not agree with you more!
Suzanne Troya
6:44 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
Agree with you completely.
No one deserves to get sued! I'm sure the driver must have felt horrible. This is just an unfortunate event and both parents and bus company need to let this horrible event pass. It was a fluke of the moment with dire consequences, I can't even blame the poor teen, it just happened.
Lily Ebanson
6:34 pm on Sunday, September 2, 2012
My sympathy goes to the family. I do wonder why he did it though, he knew better. 16 years old is not a child. I wish this generation would learn to think about things before they do them and learn responsibility for themselves. Its sad that this could have been so easily prevented....
Gladys Smith
2:38 pm on Monday, September 3, 2012
We have lots of overpasses here in the Midwest. Is it something new to you folks out there in New Jersey? Ours are made out of concrete and are not padded to protect young ignorant children. We just watch our toddlers more careful, I guess. Was the boy an American? He might come from some more primitive part of the world like the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico or Mexico where overpasses are rare. If so, y'all ought to do a better job on your immigrant orientation.
William Mays
8:45 pm on Monday, September 3, 2012
Wow, what a racist. Someone is dead and you say crap about them. Good thing you're in the Midwest and not in a place that people give a crap about.
Citizen Jane
7:40 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
Really, could you stop and think about this kid's family and friends? This is a local website and what you said was just invalid, unnecessary and mean.
John Santaella
11:48 am on Saturday, September 8, 2012
Gladys Smith, I guess you've never left the Mid-West. See more of the world. What an ignorant comment. Not just ignorant but insensitive too. A sixteen year old boy is dead because he did something that was stupid. Teenagers are invincible; nothing will ever happen to them until, of course, it does.
My heartfelt sympathies to his family and friends.
NJP
6:19 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
Paul Umrichin thank you for your comment...well said. As a dad of a 15 year old, I can't even begin to think about what his family and friends are going through. I hope God lessens their pain.
Gladys....NOT NICE WORDS!!! If your from the Midwest, why is it that when I click your name to read your other comments, this is the only one that shows up and it's linked to the New Milford Patch?
William Mays
6:24 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
New Milford, Midwest, same hillbillies, who cares.
Randy Fernandez
3:35 pm on Monday, September 3, 2012
Well it's obvious that you have no freaking idea what you are talking about either. We have a lot of overpasses here in New Jersey and none are "Padded" as you would put it. The boy was 16, not a "Toddler" as you said. It was a party bus full of teenagers and as you may or may not know teenagers can do STUPID things. Unfortunately we can't put a leash on our children and watch every move they make. All we can do is hope that we do the best in helping them know what is right and wrong. Race,Color, or nationality has nothing to do with it. If you ask me you sound a little racist with your comments.
Trinigurl98
6:20 pm on Monday, September 3, 2012
Gladys Smith you sound like an ignorant, racist dolt with that comment. How inane are you that you believe only America has highway overpasses? And, dolt, primative may accurately describe you and your thought processes than those countries you mentioned. If I were your child I would be ashamed to call you my mother. Teenagers sometimes act before they think- hell I remember being a teen and doing
things that downright scare me now thinking about them. Instead of being a fool, you should pray for the kids who witnessed the accident and his family. RIP Daniel you will not be forgotten.
missy
3:25 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
We try as parents, our children are supposed to be taught to know better, to not be the follower, the clown, the robot or the instigator.. im sure alot of children on that bus are wishing some how they could've stopped him or not dared him or whatever or his parents wishing they would've taught him to listen.. bottom line we only affluent a persons life and personality we don't control them and none of us could've stopped what happened.. he wanted to show off, be stupid, rebel.. it is only a matter of time before something bad happens.. bet all those kids on that bus learned tho... RIP to this poor child and condolences to all.. lets ignore the ignorant comments on here people, or we r no better than them..
Paul M
4:09 pm on Thursday, September 6, 2012
Yes it was a stupid thing to do but Gladys why even read Teaneck patch if you love the Midwest so much?
Richard Joseph Kutney
3:56 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
We are sad, but we need to honor Dan's memory. I have created a PERMANENT memorial page for Dan. I did this for YOU; the friends, family and loved ones of Dan. - http://www.facebook.com/#!/DanielFernandezMemorial -
I hope you like it. Please post your positive thoughts, feelings, memories and photos, videos and music about Dan for his family and all his friends... This will be a PERMANENT place for everyone to remember Dan. Are you ready to post something on Dan’s memorial page?
Quin
12:48 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Things like this always punch me in the face. We always see the suicides and the murders, not how just taking fun too far can kill us.