Six Dead and 18 Injured as Semitrailer Crashes into Charter Bus Carrying High School Students in Ohio

ETNA, Ohio — Tragedy struck on an Ohio highway Tuesday morning when a semitrailer slammed into the back of a charter bus carrying high school students, resulting in the deaths of six people and leaving 18 others injured. The devastating incident involved a total of five vehicles, including a Pioneer Trails charter bus that was transporting students and chaperones from the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District in eastern Ohio, according to Licking County Emergency Management Agency Director Sean Grady.

At the time of the crash, the bus was carrying a driver and 54 students and chaperones. Regrettably, three passengers on the bus lost their lives at the scene. They have been identified as 18-year-old John W. Mosely from Mineral City, 18-year-old Jeffery D. Worrell from Bolivar, and 15-year-old Katelyn N. Owens, also from Mineral City, as confirmed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol on Tuesday night.

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

Tragically, the collision also claimed the lives of all three occupants in one of the other vehicles involved. The deceased have been identified as Dave Kennat, a 56-year-old from Navarre, Kristy Gaynor, a 39-year-old from Zoar, and Shannon Wigfield, a 45-year-old from Bolivar. The driver of the remaining passenger vehicle was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Among the commercial vehicle drivers involved, one was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the other received treatment at the scene, according to information provided by the Highway Patrol. All the vehicles were traveling westbound on Interstate 70 in Licking County, approximately 26 miles east of Columbus, when the tragic chain-reaction crash occurred around 9 a.m. In the aftermath of the collision, at least three vehicles caught fire, prompting a swift response from emergency services. Investigations are currently underway to determine the cause of the devastating accident, with a team of National Transportation Safety Board investigators en route to the scene.

The ill-fated bus was en route to an Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus, as confirmed by Tuscarawas Valley Superintendent Derek Varansky. In a Facebook post, Varansky expressed the school district’s focus on reaching out to the affected families and providing support to the entire school community during this difficult time.

Upon learning of the tragic incident, conference organizers made the decision to cancel the event. Jeff Chambers, a spokesperson for the Ohio School Boards Association, conveyed their deep sadness and sympathies to those impacted by the crash.

Pioneer Trails, the company operating the charter bus, expressed their condolences to all those affected by the crash. The company is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation, and while they await further information, they have refrained from making additional comments.

Following the accident, the American Red Cross swiftly dispatched 30 units of blood to a hospital within the Mount Carmel Health System to aid the victims. Marita Salkowski, the regional communications director for the American Red Cross of Central and Southern Ohio, stated that a center was established at a United Methodist Church in Etna. This center provided a space for bus passengers who did not require medical attention to contact their loved ones during this distressing time.

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

Contributing to this article were Ron Todt and Bruce Shipkowski from The Associated Press.