NTSB releases preliminary report in fatal Carroll County bus crash
JACKSON, Tenn. (WBBJ) – The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report regarding a fatal bus crash that occurred in late March.
On March 27, a school bus carrying Kenwood Middle School students crossed the centerline on Highway 70 and struck two oncoming vehicles, killing two students and injuring dozens, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report.
The crash occurred at about 11:35 a.m. Friday on Highway 70 between Cedar Grove and Huntingdon in Carroll County. The bus was transporting 24 students and four adult chaperones from Kenwood Middle School to a STEM competition in Jackson.
According to the NTSB, the bus crossed into the eastbound lane and sideswiped a Tennessee Department of Transportation dump truck on the left side. The bus then collided with a Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV before departing the roadway and coming to rest facing down an embankment. The bus remained upright.
Two student passengers died in the crash. The bus driver sustained serious injuries, and the remaining passengers sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious. The two occupants of the dump truck sustained serious injuries. The SUV occupants were uninjured.
The weather was clear and the roadway was dry at the time of the crash. The speed limit on that section of Highway 70 was 55 mph.
The NTSB says it is investigating the crash in coordination with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The investigation aims to determine the probable cause and help the NTSB issue safety recommendations to prevent similar events. A full investigation can take 12 to 24 months to complete.
View the full report here.
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