A fatal school bus crash in Carroll County left two children dead and others injured on Friday.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol says the crash involved a Montgomery County school bus and a Tennessee Department of Transportation dump truck traveling on State Highway 70 near Cedar Grove. THP says the TDOT truck didn’t appear to cause the wreck. A Chevrolet truck was also involved.
According to the Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools’ Facebook page, the bus was transporting 25 students from Kenwood Middle School to Jackson, Tenn., for a field trip. Five adults were also on board the bus.
“Please continue to pray with us for our students, families, faculty, and staff,” Kenwood Principal Karen Miller wrote on Facebook. “I am grateful for the strength of our Kenwood community, and I trust we will all support each other during this difficult time.”
She called the crash an unimaginable tragedy and encouraged parents to be attentive to their child’s emotional needs as they process the deaths of their classmates. Miller said counselors will be available starting Monday.
Carroll County Sheriff Andy Dickson said during the briefing that seven students were injured and transported to hospitals in Nashville, Memphis and Jackson.
Four people were taken to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville and were in stable condition Friday, according to a Vanderbilt Health spokesperson. Another 19 people were taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County, said Kim Alexander, a spokesperson for Baptist Memorial Health Care. All were evaluated and released, though it was unclear how many actually were injured, she said.
Community mourns
Dr. Jean Luna-Vedder, school district director, also shared an emotional message Saturday.
“As a mother and a lifelong educator, I cannot begin to imagine the fear and pain,” she wrote. “I ask that everyone pray and wrap their arms around these students, employees, their families, and the entire Kenwood community.”
The director said she visited students and families in hospitals on Friday night and was “overwhelmed by the selfless and compassionate moments I observed.”
The director asked the community to wear Kenwood’s colors of black and gold on Monday. She said she has received support from across Tennessee.
Rep. Ronnie Glynn, whose district includes the school, was among elected officials who offered condolences.
“My heart is with the family of the person who lost their life, those who were injured, and the entire Kenwood Middle School community as they face this tragedy,” Glynn wrote.
Gov. Bill Lee asked for prayer.
“We are heartbroken over the loss of life & ask for God’s healing over the injured,” he wrote on X. “As authorities continue to investigate, we are deeply grateful to every first responder supporting these Tennesseans in their most difficult time.”
This story was last updated at 4:20 p.m. Saturday.
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