HUNTINGDON, Tenn. — A devastating collision in western Tennessee has claimed the lives of two students and left at least seven others injured when their school bus crashed Friday afternoon, according to state authorities.
The tragic incident occurred around midday on Highway 70 in Carroll County and involved three vehicles: a school bus, a Chevrolet Trailblazer, and a Tennessee Department of Transportation dump truck, according to Maj. Travis Plotzer of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. While investigators are still piecing together what happened, Plotzer indicated the state dump truck does not appear to have played a role in causing the collision.
The bus was transporting 30 people total — 25 students and five staff members — from Kenwood Middle School in Clarksville on an educational trip to Jackson, Tennessee, the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System confirmed. Authorities are continuing to investigate what led to the crash.
During a press briefing, Plotzer confirmed the two student fatalities and said emergency crews airlifted at least seven injured individuals to area medical facilities. Hospital officials have not yet released information about the severity of those injuries.
“This is a parent’s worst nightmare,” Plotzer said.
Vanderbilt Health reported that four patients were transported to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville, where they were listed in stable condition Friday evening.
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County received 19 individuals for medical evaluation, according to hospital spokesperson Kim Alexander. All of those patients were examined and discharged, though Alexander noted it remained unclear how many had actually sustained injuries in the crash.
