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NJ TRANSIT Bus Drivers Taken Off Road Amid Lincoln Tunnel Collision Probe

TRENTON, N.J. (CBSnewYork/AP) -- Two NJ TRANSIT bus drivers whose vehicles collided in the Lincoln Tunnel  last month have been taken off the road while the agency investigates the accident

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NJ TRANSIT spokeswoman Lisa Torbic said a 127 Line bus headed from Ridgefield rear-ended a 128 Line bus out of Fairview on Sept. 26.

Officials said the driver of the first bus suddenly switched lanes and the other bus couldn't stop in time.

Forty-four people were hurt in the crash, though none of the injuries were considered life-threatening.

"The most significant injuries were a broken jaw, a broken arm, and one of the passengers had a preexisting brain injury, which resulted in a seizure," said Port Authority Police Superintendent Michael Fedorko.

Lincoln Tunnel Crash
Two buses have crashed inside the center tube of the Lincoln Tunnel on Monday, Sept. 26, 2016. (Credit: Chopper2)

One driver was ticketed for an unsafe lane change. That driver has been with the agency for nearly nine years, while the other driver has been with NJ Transit for nearly three years.

The drivers' names have not been released. They will be paid while the investigation proceeds but cannot drive buses.

The Lincoln Tunnel travels under the Hudson River and connects Weehawken, New Jersey, with midtown Manhattan.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says 42 million vehicles use the tunnel every year.

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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