Field Trip Tragedy on Highway 70
HUNTINGDON Tenn. — We’re following up on a field trip tragedy that prompted an immediate response from first responders. In Carroll County, many faced heavy traffic delays after a fatal collision on Highway 70.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol leads the scene of a fatal crash in Carroll County on Highway 70 between Leach and Cedar Grove…Just above the 1,000 acre lake in Huntingdon Tennessee.
THP confirms two students on board a Clarksville school bus were killed during the collision.
There was a large response of law enforcement, ambulances and lifeflight helicopters.
“We requested nine air ambulance helicopters to respond to the scene. Seven of those were used for patient transport to various hospitals including the Regional Medical Center in Memphis, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, and Vanderbilt University Hospital. We also had one transport to Skyline in Dickson,” said Major Travis Poltzer, Tennessee Highway Patrol.
According to Mayor Golden, of Montgomery County, Kenwood Middle School students were traveling for a field trip when a tragic accident happened on Highway 70. However, we’re still in the preliminary stages of the investigation. We do know there were twenty-five students aboard the bus, and five adults with two fatalities.
“It involved three vehicles. A Montgomery County school bus, a TDOT dump truck, and a Chevrolet trailblazer. What we can see right now…it doesn’t appear that tdot had any contributing factors to the crash. This crash investigation is still ongoing. It has been a joint response by our ‘CIRT’ team which is our Critical Incident Response, our Motor Carrier Plus Division, and our Pupil Transportation Troopers…the ones that inspect school busses,” said Andrew Hoard, Director for Baptist Ambulance for West Tennessee.
In addition to the passengers on the bus, there were two adults in the TDOT truck and one in the passenger truck the Chevrolet trailblazer involved in the collision. A resident we spoke with on scene tells us this it isn’t the first accident in front of his home on highway 70.
There has been outpouring support from local churches, fire departments, sheriff departments, police departments, tema , and the community as a whole.
“Keep all of our first responders in your prayers because they’ve witnessed some stuff today that they’LL remember for the rest of their lives,” said Sheriff Andy Dickson, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office.
Governor Bill Lee issued a statement via facebook asking all Tennesseans to join in prayer for the Kenwood Middle School students & faculty, TDOT employees, & all families impacted by this tragedy.
