Six Dead, Eighteen Injured in Ohio Highway Crash: Victims Identified

Accident – Death – Obituary News : ETNA, Ohio (AP) — A team from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is set to begin investigations on Wednesday at the site of a tragic highway crash in Ohio. The incident involved a charter bus carrying high school students, resulting in the death of six individuals and leaving 18 others injured.

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy announced that the team’s primary objective would be to gather evidence, including footage from cameras, from the five vehicles involved in the chain-reaction crash. The collision occurred on westbound Interstate 70 in Licking County, approximately 26 miles (42 kilometers) east of Columbus. Homendy estimated that the team would remain in the area for a period of five to seven days, with a preliminary report expected to be released within the next few weeks.

Homendy emphasized that there was conflicting information regarding the sequence of events leading up to the crash, which also involved an SUV and a semitruck. The Pioneer Trails charter bus was transporting students and chaperones from the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District, located in eastern Ohio.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, three passengers on the bus, including the driver, were pronounced dead at the scene. They 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 bus was en route to the Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus, as confirmed by Tuscarawas Valley Superintendent Derek Varansky. Unfortunately, the conference, which was deemed the second-largest education convention in the nation, had to be canceled upon learning of the tragic incident. The event was expected to offer professional development sessions for school district management teams and an annual Student Achievement Fair featuring 100 booths showcasing innovative school programs.

In a community prayer vigil held on Tuesday night, 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 the victims and provide support to the surviving students who will have to cope with the traumatic experience. Varansky stated that classes would still be held on Wednesday, ensuring that no students would be left alone at home. However, he acknowledged that it would not be a typical school day, with additional counselors and support staff from various organizations present on campus to offer assistance.

Additionally, three individuals in another passenger vehicle, including a teacher and two chaperones for the student trip, were also pronounced dead at the scene. They have been identified as Dave Kennat, 56, of Navarre; Kristy Gaynor, 39, of Zoar; and Shannon Wigfield, 45, of Bolivar. The driver of the second passenger vehicle was transported to a hospital. Of the commercial vehicle drivers involved, one was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the other received treatment at the scene, according to the highway patrol.

The crash resulted in the closure of both sides of Interstate 70 for several hours, leading to significant traffic delays in the area. The eastbound lanes were reopened late Tuesday afternoon, and the westbound lanes were reopened early Wednesday.

Tori Wilson, a sophomore at the school who was seated towards the back of the bus during the collision, recounted her harrowing experience to WBNS-TV. She overheard someone mentioning a fire and the urgency to evacuate, but she found herself trapped and struggling to free herself. Wilson vividly described the chaotic scene, with injured students and the bus engulfed in flames. She mentioned the heroic actions of the junior high band director, who repeatedly ran back onto the bus to rescue students.

This tragic crash marks the second recent fatal incident involving high school students on a charter bus in the United States. In September, a charter bus carrying high school students to band camp veered off a highway in New York, resulting in two fatalities and several injuries.

In response to such incidents, Ohio’s Republican Governor Mike DeWine established a School Bus Safety Working Group in August. The formation of the group followed a minivan colliding with a school bus in Clark County, leading to the death of an 11-year-old student from Northwestern Local Schools. The minivan driver has since been charged with vehicular homicide.

The School Bus Safety Working Group has its next meeting scheduled for next Thursday, during which they will focus on training and on-bus instruction. The meeting will also include discussions with a panel of drivers and other experts. Judy Converse, a spokesperson for the group, stated that the final meeting is planned for December 1, with recommendations expected by the end of the year. Although it remains uncertain how the final report will address charter buses carrying students, Tuesday’s tragic crash will be acknowledged during the meeting..