Two school buses headed for the Bronx collided on I-95 in Port Chester late Friday afternoon, sending 54 campers to the hospital.

Police say the buses were transporting a large group of young girls from the Rosedale Center Camp in the Bronx back home after a day at the beach in Connecticut.

According to authorities, the collision happened when the first bus driver allegedly stopped short and rear-ended a Ford Explorer. The other bus driver, whom police describe as an 81-year-old man, then crashed into the bus it was following.

Sgt. John Maasz, of the New York State Police, says the driver of the first bus most likely did not realize the SUV in front of him was slowing down, and was unable to stop in time.

Following the crash, dozens of first responders rushed the young girls, ranging in age from 8 to 15, to nearby hospitals. Police say most victims who were treated by paramedics complained of back and neck pain.

Police say the accident could've been much worse. The injuries the 54 girls sustained were not serious, and everyone is expected to recover.

The employer of the two drivers, the Yonkers-based Academy Bus Co., was not immediately available for comment.