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Numerous Injuries Reported In Charter Bus Crash In Clifton, N.J.

CLIFTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - A charter bus slammed into a barrier on Route 3 in Clifton on Thursday, stopping traffic and trapping several people inside.

The wreckage has been cleared after a crane was brought in, and the highway has been reopened in both directions, WCBS 880's Tom Kaminski reported.

Eight people were injured in the crash, but all are expected to survive, CBS 2's Joe Biermann reported.

Footage from the scene showed the bus straddling the concrete divider in the road. The front end of the bus has suffered significant damage.

The incident occurred around 2:15 p.m. A witness told CBS 2's Lou Young the bus collided with a minivan moments before. The driver then struck the divider while trying to extricate the front of the bus from the van, said Michelle Suffy, who works in a building near the highway.

Clifton, N.J. Bus Accident
The bus that crashed in Clifton, N.J. on Dec. 19, 2013. (credit: CBS 2)

"When he hit the divider, the bus actually tilted about 60 degrees on its side and then flipped back up," Suffy said. "I literally kind of stood frozen saying, 'Oh my God, oh my God!'"

The DeCamp commuter bus typically runs from Pennsylvania to Montclair.

As of 5:30 p.m. traffic on eastbound Route 3 was backed up to U.S. Route 46, about six miles. Other nearby highways were also experiencing delays.

Click here to check current traffic conditions.

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