Tragedy Strikes Ohio Interstate: Three Lives Lost in Semitrailer-Bus Collision

Accident – Death – Obituary News : Tragedy struck an Ohio interstate on Tuesday morning when a collision between a semitrailer and a bus carrying students resulted in the loss of at least three lives and injuries to 18 others. The devastating incident occurred around 9 a.m. when the semitrailer crashed into the rear of a charter bus.

The bus was transporting students and chaperones from the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District to a conference in Columbus, as confirmed by the district on Facebook. Superintendent Derek Varansky expressed deep concern and stated, “We are grappling with the possibility of multiple serious injuries. Our current priority is contacting families of those aboard the bus and supporting our school community during these testing times.”

According to Lt. Nate Dennis of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the crash involved five vehicles on Interstate 70 West in Licking County. A total of 57 people were onboard the bus, with 18 individuals being transported to hospitals. Licking County Emergency Management Agency Director Sean Grady provided updates on the number of deaths and injuries.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, visibly shaken, described the incident as “our worst nightmare.” He extended his heartfelt thoughts and prayers to all the affected families during a news conference.

As more details emerged, it was revealed that three passengers on the bus, identified as John W. Mosely, 18, Jeffery D. Worrell, 18, and Katelyn N. Owens, 15, were pronounced dead at the crash site. Fifteen students and the bus driver were hospitalized, while others were taken to a reunification center.

Tragically, all three occupants of one of the passenger vehicles involved also perished at the scene. They were identified as Dave Kennat, 56, Kristy Gaynor, 39, and Shannon Wigfield, 45. The driver of another passenger vehicle was hospitalized, and one of the commercial vehicle drivers received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

The chain-reaction crash, which occurred on I-70 West approximately 26 miles east of Columbus, resulted in at least three vehicles catching fire. The National Transportation Safety Board has dispatched a team to investigate the incident.

In the wake of the tragedy, the Ohio School Boards Association conference was canceled, and Pioneer Trails, the company operating the bus, expressed condolences and promised cooperation with the ongoing investigation. The Red Cross provided blood units to aid the victims, and a crisis center was established at a local church for those who were unharmed in the crash to reunite with their loved ones.

The Tuscarawas Valley Middle-High School became a gathering place for anxious parents as the community grappled with the enormity of the tragedy. The Columbus Dispatch reported the palpable distress among parents as they arrived to reunite with their children.

Emergency responders swiftly arrived at the scene, where transportation cameras captured smoke billowing from the wreckage. The crash caused significant traffic disruptions, with police blocking access to the interstate.

This incident in Ohio follows another recent fatal crash in New York, where a charter bus carrying high school students to a band camp veered off a highway, resulting in two deaths and multiple injuries..