Teen still hospitalized after NJ bus overturns, hero cited

🚨13 boys and the driver of an overturned school bus have be released

🚨A 14-year-old boy is still hospitalized after the bus rolled on top of him

🚨An investigation into the crash is ongoing

MONTVALE — The most seriously injured passenger in the overturn of a school bus on the Garden State Parkway has a nursing student and volunteer EMT to thank for getting him out from under.

The bus carrying Jewish school students from Lakewood to a wedding celebration overturned Monday night along the northbound lanes in Montvale near the New York State border, according to State Police. 14 boys were hospitalized along with driver Joseph Itzkowitz, 44, of Lakewood. All but one 14-year-old have been released hospitals.

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'Hometown Hero' honored

Montvale mayor Mike Ghassali singled out a nurse and EMT volunteer named Matt he described as "courageous" who was first to pull over and help the children on the bus get out.

"Someone then informed him that there was a boy trapped underneath the bus. Without hesitation, Matt crawled under the bus and applied his EMT experience to keep the boy alive until additional help arrived," Ghassali wrote on his Facebook page.

The mayor said Matt received a congratulatory phone call from Gov. Phil Murphy and will be recognized as a “Hometown Hero” at Thursday's  borough council meeting.

The cause of the overturn remains under investigation, according to State Police.

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