New Yorkers raise money for injured victims after teenager's collision with school bus

A New York teenager without a license crashed head-on with a school bus on Thursday afternoon, leaving several individuals with life-threatening injuries, authorities said. 

The New Castle Police Department said the 16-year-old unlicensed teenager was driving a Honda Accord when he "lost control while rounding a curve, crossed into oncoming traffic, and struck the bus head-on" at around 2:15 p.m.

The teenage driver, identified as Erick Fuentes, suffered from a broken neck, fractured spine, and a broken leg, according to a GoFundMe set up by his sister. Fuentes also had to have part of his skull removed due to a hematoma. 

"This is devastating," she wrote on his GoFundMe page, "but all we have left is to have faith that he will make it out alive. All we ask is for time and space."

Three other passengers in the Honda were taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said. One of the passengers, identified as Jonathan Martinez, 17, had died at the scene but was brought back to life by paramedics and is currently on a ventilator.

He also has a fractured femur, ruptured spleen, brain bleed, and spinal injuries. Sixteen-year-old Alex Cantor suffers from a brain hemorrhage, collapsed lungs, liver hemorrhage, and two broken legs. He was in surgery for more than five hours. 

Additionally, several passengers of the bus and its 62-year-old driver were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, the officials said.

More than $84,000 have been raised for the campaigns of the three boys by Thursday afternoon. 

Authorities have not yet released the names of those who were injured during the crash, reported NBC New York. The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the collision.