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

High school students and chaperones involved in a devastating accident on Ohio highway

ETNA, Ohio – A devastating accident occurred on Tuesday morning in Etna, Ohio, as a Pioneer Trails charter bus, carrying high school students and chaperones from the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District, was rear-ended by a semitruck on Interstate 70. The tragic incident has left six people dead and 18 others injured, according to officials.

The chain-reaction crash involved a total of five vehicles, including the charter bus. Licking County Emergency Management Agency Director, Sean Grady, confirmed the involvement of the bus carrying 54 students and chaperones. Sadly, 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 scene by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

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

Among those injured, 15 students and the bus driver were rushed to nearby hospitals, while the remaining students were taken to a reunification site to be attended by officials, ensuring their well-being.

Tragically, all three occupants of another passenger vehicle involved in the crash were also pronounced dead at the scene. The victims were identified as Dave Kennat (56), Kristy Gaynor (39), and Shannon Wigfield (45).

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is currently investigating the cause of the crash. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) officials are on their way to the scene to assist in the investigation.

The ill-fated bus was en route to a Columbus conference organized by the Ohio School Boards Association. Tuscarawas Valley Superintendent, Derek Varansky, assured that their primary focus is to contact the families of the affected students and provide support to the entire school community.

In light of the tragic incident, the conference was immediately canceled, as announced by spokesperson Jeff Chambers.

Pioneer Trails, the charter bus company, expressed their deepest condolences to those affected by the crash and assured cooperation with the authorities. However, they refrained from making any further comments until the investigation is complete.

In response to the urgent need for blood donations, the Red Cross promptly sent 30 units of blood to Mount Carmel Health System. Marita Salkowski, the regional communications director for the American Red Cross of Central and Southern Ohio, stated that a center was established at a local United Methodist Church in Etna, where non-injured bus passengers could reunite with their loved ones and seek support.

The tragic incident deeply affected the Tuscarawas Valley Middle-High School community, as parents anxiously gathered at the school’s parking lot to pick up their children. Laurie Fragasse, a parent, expressed her distress, stating, “I’m sick. I’m sick to my stomach,” as she collected her daughter.

Unfortunately, this is the second fatal crash involving high school students on a charter bus in the United States recently. In September, a charter bus carrying high school students to band camp veered off a highway in New York, resulting in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to several others.

Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. Associated Press writers Ron Todt in Philadelphia and Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River, New Jersey, contributed to this report.