Twelve children and two adults were transported to the hospital following a multi-vehicle crash involving five vehicles, including an elementary school bus and two dump trucks, in New Jersey.

The incident occurred on Thursday, Sept. 3, per a release shared by the Monroe Township Police Department on Facebook.

“The preliminary investigation determined that a commercial dump truck was traveling northbound on N. Tuckahoe Road, approaching traffic that had stopped for an uninvolved school bus,” per the release. “The dump truck driver failed to observe the stopped traffic and struck the rear of a passenger vehicle occupied by one adult and three juveniles.”

Authorities said the force of the collision then pushed the car into another passenger vehicle being driven by an adult female. That vehicle was then pushed into the rear of a school bus that was carrying nine students and two adults.

The school bus subsequently struck the rear of another dump truck. The driver of the truck had begun moving in an attempt to avoid the collision occurring behind, police said.

According to authorities, a child became trapped in the rear seat of the passenger vehicle during the incident and had to be extricated by the fire department.

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“As a result of the crash, 12 juveniles and two adults were transported to area hospitals for evaluation and treatment,” the release continued. “All individuals have since either been released or remain in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.”

The Monroe Township School District also addressed the incident in a statement shared on its website on Thursday night. They confirmed that the bus was traveling from Oak Knoll Elementary School when it was “involved in a motor vehicle accident on Tuckahoe Road.”

“The driver and students riding the bus were evaluated at the scene by the Monroe Township Police Department (MTPD) and first responders,” per the statement. “A number of students were transported to the hospital for further evaluation.”

The school district said the parents of students who were on the bus were “immediately notified” about the incident.

Those who were transported to the hospital were “evaluated by medical staff” and “subsequently released,” the school district said, adding that students and the driver are “safe and healthy.”

The school district said counselors will be available at the school on Friday.

Monroe Township Police Department vehicle.Monroe Township Police Department Facebook

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According to NBC 10 Philadelphia, the students had just finished their third day of school. The school district told the outlet that the bus had left the school minutes before the crash, which occurred just before 4 p.m. local time.

In their release, police said that the commercial carrier associated with the two dump trucks is cooperating with the investigation, which is ongoing.

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Jaime Young, who lives near where the incident occurred, said the crash “sounded like an explosion.”

“Bang! Really hard,” he told NBC 10 Philadelphia, sharing that he ran outside when he heard the noise.

“I noticed it was a red dump truck that rear-ended a white SUV and that one hit another one in front,” Young told the outlet, adding that he went to help the driver of the SUV.

“She had a little girl in her arm. And she was saying she has her nephew, it was a little boy, and he was trapped in the rear seat of her car,” Young said. “It was so bad.”