What we know about the Tennessee school bus crash that killed 2 students
CEDAR GROVE, Tenn. — Two students died and multiple others were injured Friday when a school bus carrying Kenwood Middle School students to a STEM competition crashed on Highway 70 in Carroll County.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said the crash occurred around 12 p.m. and involved a Montgomery County school bus, a TDOT dump truck and a passenger vehicle.
Two students were found dead at the scene. The bus was carrying 24 students, four adults, and the driver, according to THP.
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Multiple injured passengers were airlifted to trauma centers in Nashville and Memphis. THP says nine medical helicopters were summoned to the scene, with seven completing flights to appropriate trauma centers in Memphis and Nashville. Ground ambulances transported additional patients to local hospitals.
Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County confirmed it received and treated 19 patients from the crash. All were evaluated and discharged.
As of 3:30 p.m., THP confirms multiple individuals remain hospitalized.
Students were traveling to Jackson for Greenpower competition
The bus was transporting STEM students from Kenwood Middle School to Jackson for a GreenpowerUSA event, Suzy Butler, a parent of a student on the trip, confirmed to WSMV4.
Butler said about 24 students and four teachers were on the field trip. The students had been working on a Greenpower curriculum all year, which involved building a car or cart from the ground up.
The Toyota Hub City Grand Prix was scheduled for March 27-28 at the Rockabillys Baseball Stadium in Jackson. Two Kenwood Middle School teams were registered for the Int Stock Division.
The event schedule listed arrivals for Friday afternoon leading into practice sessions, with heats scheduled for Saturday morning and afternoon.
The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System confirmed families of all occupants on the bus have been contacted.
NTSB launches investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board has initiated a safety investigation in coordination with the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The NTSB investigation will examine school bus driver performance, student passenger occupant protection and the oversight of school transportation operations.
A preliminary report may be available in about 30 days and posted to the NTSB website. A full investigation can take 12 to 24 months to complete.
The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System confirmed families of all occupants on the bus have been contacted.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Tennessee Highway Patrol is the lead agency investigating the incident.
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