Hundreds attend funeral for high school band director who died in bus crash

MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y. (AP) — A high school band director who died when a bus crashed while carrying students from New York to a band camp in Pennsylvania last week was remembered as a dedicated teacher with a zest for life. Gina Pellettiere and retired teacher Beatrice Ferrari were killed on Sept. 21 when the charter bus they were riding in veered off a highway and crashed down an embankment. Dozens of students were injured in the crash; officials said four remained hospitalized as of late Wednesday. Newsday reports that hundreds of students, parents, co-workers and community members attended Pellettiere’s funeral at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church on Thursday.