NTSB Investigation Underway After Fatal Charter Bus Crash in Ohio

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has dispatched a team to begin their investigation at the site of a tragic highway collision in Etna, Ohio. The crash involved a charter bus carrying high school students, resulting in the loss of six lives and leaving 18 individuals injured. NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy has stated that the team will be examining the five vehicles involved in the incident, collecting evidence which may include footage from cameras. The team is expected to remain in the area for approximately five to seven days, and a preliminary report is anticipated to be released within the next few weeks.

Homendy has expressed that there is conflicting information regarding the sequence of events that led to the chain-reaction crash. In addition to the charter bus, an SUV and a semitruck were also involved in the collision. The Pioneer Trails charter bus was transporting students and chaperones from the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District in eastern Ohio.

At the scene of the accident, three passengers on the bus were pronounced dead by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The deceased individuals have been identified as John W. Mosely, 18, of Mineral City; Jeffery D. Worrell, 18, of Bolivar; and Katelyn N. Owens, 15, of Mineral City.

The students and chaperones on the bus were en route to attend an Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus, according to Tuscarawas Valley Superintendent Derek Varansky. The conference, known as “the second-largest education convention in the nation,” had to be canceled after organizers were informed of the tragic crash. The event was set to feature professional development sessions for school district management teams and an annual Student Achievement Fair, showcasing innovative school programs.

Speaking at a community prayer vigil held on Tuesday night, Superintendent Varansky described the day as one of the darkest in the district’s history and the worst day of his life. He expressed the community’s desire to honor those who lost their lives and provide support to the survivors and the entire district during the challenging times that lie ahead.

Despite the tragedy, classes will still be held on Wednesday as district officials want to ensure that no students are left home alone. Superintendent Varansky acknowledged that it would not be a typical school day and announced that counselors and support staff from various community organizations will be present to offer assistance.

In addition to the fatalities on the bus, all three occupants of another passenger vehicle involved in the crash, including a teacher and two chaperones, were pronounced dead at the scene. The victims have been identified as Dave Kennat, 56, of Navarre; Kristy Gaynor, 39, of Zoar; and Shannon Wigfield, 45, of Bolivar. The driver of the other passenger vehicle was transported to a hospital. As for the drivers of the commercial vehicles, one was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the other received treatment at the scene, as confirmed by the highway patrol.

Due to the severity of the collision, both directions of Interstate 70 were closed for several hours, leading to significant traffic delays in the area. The eastbound lanes were reopened late Tuesday afternoon, with the westbound lanes being accessible again early Wednesday.

Tori Wilson, a sophomore at the school who was seated towards the rear of the bus, recounted her harrowing experience to WBNS-TV. She overheard someone mentioning a fire and the urgent need to evacuate, but found herself trapped. Wilson struggled to escape, especially with a fellow student having a seizure on top of her.

“I had my friend beside me to my right, that was sitting right to where I was, where I was gonna sit, but she said that I could have the inside towards the window. And all I could see was her head and the rest was all crushed underneath seats,” Wilson said.

The situation escalated when the bus caught fire, but the junior high band director, displaying immense bravery, repeatedly re-entered the vehicle to rescue students and ensure their safety.

Wilson further shared, “The kid behind me was complaining (about) his legs and I was trying to get out, but like I didn’t wanna crush him because anytime I moved, the seats moved cause I was trying to get out and then he starts like screaming in pain. The kid that was on the far right of the three, he was in the middle of the aisle and not moving.”

Eventually, Wilson managed to extract herself from the bus through a window, successfully escaping the wreckage.

This devastating collision marks the second fatal crash involving high school students on a charter bus in recent times. In September, two individuals lost their lives and several others sustained injuries when a charter bus carrying students to band camp veered off a highway in New York.