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Two students are dead and at least seven others were injured after a school bus carrying children from Kenwood Middle School in Clarksville, Tennessee, crashed on Friday (March 27) in Carroll County, marking what officials called "a parent's worst nightmare."
The crash happened around noon on Highway 70 near the intersection of Cedar Grove in Huntingdon, Tennessee. The collision involved the school bus, a Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) dump truck, and a Chevrolet Trailblazer. Twenty-five students and five adults were on board the bus at the time of the crash.
The bus was headed to Jackson, Tennessee, for a field trip when the crash occurred. Local Memphis reported that Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) is leading the investigation into what caused the collision.
Maj. Travis Plotzer, a spokesperson for the THP, said during a news conference that while the TDOT dump truck was involved in the crash, it did not appear to have contributed to the collision itself. He said details were still being sorted out as of Friday afternoon.
At least seven people were transported by air ambulance to hospitals across Tennessee. Four were taken to Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville and were listed in stable condition Friday, according to a Vanderbilt Health spokesperson. Another 19 people were taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County, where all were evaluated and released, though it was unclear how many of those 19 were actually injured.
Karen Miller, the principal of Kenwood Middle School, sent a written message to families calling the crash "an unimaginable tragedy" and encouraging parents to watch for signs of emotional distress in their children. "Please continue to pray with us for our students, families, faculty, and staff," Miller wrote. "I am grateful for the strength of our Kenwood community, and I trust we will all support each other during this difficult time." Miller added that school counselors will be available starting Monday (March 30).
The THP continues to investigate the cause of the crash. Motorists are being asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes while response and recovery efforts remain ongoing.