10-year-old girl who died in school bus crash identified

The 10-year-old girl who died when a packed school bus collided with a dump truck in New Jersey was identified Friday.

Miranda Vargas, a fifth grader at East Brook Middle School, was on the ill-fated bus that was headed to Waterloo Village, a historic Sussex County site, for a field trip, when the collision occurred.

Teacher Jennifer Williamson also died in the crash and the remaining 43 passengers were treated for injuries at local hospitals.

“She was a beautiful, gentle soul with a passionate love for her family,” Miranda’s aunt, Carolyn Arriaga wrote on a GoFundMe page created for the victim’s family, according to northjersey.com.

See photos from the scene:

The little girl leaves behind a twin sister, according to the page, which doesn’t make clear if that girl was on the same bus as Miranda.

The sisters often rode bikes together and were inseparable, according to reports.

"They were very happy and always together," said neighbor Debbie Williams, according to The New York Times.

Williams said she last saw the siblings at a grocery store with their mother on Sunday.

"They wished me a happy Mother's Day," she said. "We'll be saying prayers for them."

She is also survived by her parents, grandparents, and a number of relatives, including aunts, uncles and cousins.

Funds raised will help the family pay for a memorial service for Miranda.

“We are devastated that our Baby’s life here with us is over, but we will always carry her legacy with us forever,” Arriage wrote.

Harrowing images from the scene show the body of the bus ripped from its chassis.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said the community is “shaken” over the tragedy.

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