NBC 4 New York

Two people were seriously injured in the crash in Little Falls, N.J., officials said.

An NJ Transit train full of commuters collided with a tractor-trailer in Little Falls, N.J., at the height of the Wednesday morning rush, injuring 10 people, including two seriously.

NJ Transit spokesman John Durso Jr. said the train was carrying 71 passengers and crew when it hit the back of the trailer shortly before 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Durso said the seriously injured include an NJ Transit employee who had been aboard the train and a school crossing guard who authorities say was struck by debris.

Read more from NBCNewYork.com

The driver of the tractor-trailer, which had been carrying paint, was not seriously injured, authorities said. Dozens of yellow buckets were seen strewn around the tracks and road near the crumpled truck.

NBC 4 New York

The driver of the truck involved in the accident was not believed to have been seriously injured.

Durso said a preliminary investigation reveals the tractor-trailer was backing up after failing to make a tight turn when the crossing gates came down. The train didn't have time to stop, he said.  

The diesel-engine train was running on New Jersey's Montclair-Boonton line.

NJ Transit said the 8:11 a.m. train and 9:13 a.m. train on that line were canceled because of the crash, and passengers are advised to use bus service. Later train service experienced some delays.

Durso couldn't say whether the accident would affect service during the evening commute. Main Street remained blocked off for several blocks around the accident site throughout the morning.

An NJ Transit driver fell asleep behind the wheel Monday morning, causing a crash that put 50 bus passengers in danger on their way into Manhattan, NBC 4 New York has learned exclusively.

Several passengers on board the 166-X bus from Englewood to Port Authority tell NBC 4 New York the driver nodded off and lost control of the bus, swerving into the guardrail and nearly falling off an overpass that runs above I-495. 

Lila Noble, who was sitting toward the front of the bus, said she suddenly heard "clang, bang, boom."

"I looked up from my email and I saw that we were almost off the guardrail," she said. 

Riders said the bus driver was startled awake when a woman on board screamed. 

Read the original story on NBCNewYork.com

The driver pulled over, but only after the riders demanded he do so, passengers told NBC 4 New York. 

"He said, 'Stay on, we can go,'" said Noble. "Nobody wanted any part of that."

Another bus picked up the passengers and continued the route. No one was hurt.

Several passengers filed complaints about the driver and the crash, but they said they haven't received a response to the incident.

NJ Transit spokesman John Durso said the bus operator was taken out of service as NJ Transit conducts an investigation. 

That's only some relief to those passengers who are now second-guessing their commute.

"It needs to be addressed why inexperienced drivers are operating buses with 50 people's lives in their hands," said Noble.