Twenty-three people were hurt when a Canadian charter bus en route to a church event in Brooklyn overturned Saturday in New Jersey.

The bus, carrying 56 passengers from Toronto, overturned as the driver attempted to exit the highway, New Jersey State Police Sgt. Adam Grossman told The Times. The bus landed on the driver’s side in a marshy area about 100 yards from the road, Grossman said.

Eight people were admitted to a Paterson hospital in critical condition, said Liz Asani, a spokeswoman for St. Joseph’s Healthcare System. Four others who were taken to a hospital in Wayne, where the crash occurred, were treated and released, she said.

The Star-Ledger reported that the driver told authorities he had been cut off by another vehicle. Several passengers were trapped inside the bus and had to be freed by rescue crews, the newspaper reported.

Passengers told the paper they were travelling to Brooklyn for a Seventh-day Adventist event and that many passengers were sleeping when the crash occurred.

State police said the bus was operated by Max 2000 Charter Services, Inc. The business bills itself as a Toronto-based charter company with 20 years of experience.

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paloma.esquivel@latimes.com