UPDATE: A third teenager -- a female -- died Tuesday.
Two teenagers died and more than one dozen people were injured as a New Jersey Transit bus and a car collided in Pleasantville, New Jersey Monday afternoon.
NJ Transit officials say the 502 Line bus had left from a terminal in Atlantic City en route to the Hamilton Mall in Mays Landing.
As the bus was traveling along North Franklin Boulevard and Old Turnpike shortly before 2 p.m., it was suddenly struck by a red vehicle.
According to investigators, the car was traveling on Franklin Boulevard when it crossed over the center line.
"For some odd reason the red car crossed over the center line and it was a head-on collision with the bus," said Sergeant Emory Silipigni of the Pleasantville Police Department. "The bus tried to swerve out of the way but was unsuccessful."
As the bus swerved in an attempt to escape the collision, the vehicle barreled down a sidewalk towards pedestrians who narrowly avoided being struck.
"I really feel thankful to be alive," said Michael Almeyda. "It just kept coming closer to me."
Police say five people were inside the car at the time of the accident. According to sources, everyone inside the car was under the age of 20.
Two passengers, a young man and woman, died. The driver, an 18-year-old woman, along with two other passengers were hurt in the crash.
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"You just heard the tire burning on the street," said Manuel Cabral, another witness. "Then there was a big impact. It was crazy. Metal against metal."
Officials also say 10 people on the bus were hurt in the crash.
While North Franklin Boulevard is a 25 mph zone, witnesses tell NBC10 they believe the driver of the red car was traveling around 60 mph moments before the collision. Investigators have not yet confirmed this however. They continue to investigate the accident.
