Accident – Death – Obituary News :

Tragic Charter Bus Crash in Etna, Ohio Leaves Six Dead and Several Injured

ETNA, Ohio (AP) – A devastating accident occurred on an Ohio highway on Tuesday morning, involving a charter bus filled with high school students. The bus was rear-ended by a semitruck, resulting in the loss of six lives and leaving 18 others injured, according to officials.

Multiple Vehicles Involved in the Crash

The collision involved a total of five vehicles, including a Pioneer Trails charter bus carrying students and chaperones from the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District in eastern Ohio, stated Licking County Emergency Management Agency Director Sean Grady.

Tragically, three passengers on the bus, identified as John W. Mosely, 18, of Mineral City; Jeffery D. Worrell, 18, of Bolivar; and Katelyn N. Owens, 15, of Mineral City, were pronounced dead at the scene, as confirmed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol on Tuesday night.

Grief and Condolences Pour In

“This is our worst nightmare, when we have a bus full of children involved in a crash,” expressed Ohio Governor Mike DeWine during a press conference at the scene. “Prayers go out to the families, everyone who was on the bus.”

A total of 15 students and the bus driver were immediately transported to nearby hospitals, while other students were taken to a designated reunification site, officials reported.

Tragically, all three individuals in one of the passenger vehicles involved in the crash also lost their lives. They were 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 rushed to a hospital for treatment. Among the commercial vehicle drivers involved, one was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, while the other received on-scene medical attention, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Chain-Reaction Crash and Ongoing Investigation

The tragic incident occurred on Interstate 70 in Licking County, approximately 26 miles (42 kilometers) east of Columbus, around 9 a.m. All vehicles involved were traveling westbound when the chain-reaction crash unfolded, causing at least three of them to catch fire. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation, with a team of National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigators en route to the scene.

Bus Enroute to Ohio School Boards Association Conference

The charter bus was transporting the students and chaperones to an Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus, Tuscarawas Valley Superintendent Derek Varansky confirmed.

“Right now, our focus is on getting in touch with our Tusky Valley families who had loved ones on the bus and providing support to our entire school community,” Varansky stated in a Facebook post.

Upon learning of the tragic crash, conference organizers made the difficult decision to cancel the event, as reported by spokesperson Jeff Chambers.

Pioneer Trails, the charter bus company involved in the incident, expressed its condolences to the affected individuals and assured cooperation with the ongoing investigation. However, the company refrained from further comments until the investigation is complete.

Community Support and Assistance

Following the tragic accident, the American Red Cross sent 30 units of blood to a hospital in the Mount Carmel Health System to aid the victims, according to Marita Salkowski, the regional communications director for the American Red Cross of Central and Southern Ohio. Additionally, a center was established at a United Methodist Church in Etna, where bus passengers not requiring medical attention could gather to contact their loved ones.

As concerned parents arrived at the Tuscarawas Valley Middle-High School parking lot, school officials personally spoke with them before allowing them to enter and pick up their children, as reported by the Columbus Dispatch.

“I’m sick. I’m sick to my stomach,” expressed Laurie Fragasse, a parent, when she collected her daughter.

Emergency services responded promptly to the crash site, and Ohio Department of Transportation cameras in the area captured images of smoke emanating from the scene. Police officers were directed to block nearby entrance ramps to I-70 East and West, leading to increased traffic along the road.

A Tragic Pattern Emerges

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

By [Your Name]

.