Tragic Charter Bus Accident in Etna Claims Six Lives and Injures 18

Deadly Crash Involves High School Students on Interstate 70

ETNA, Ohio (AP) — A devastating accident occurred on Tuesday morning when a semitruck rear-ended a charter bus filled with high school students on Interstate 70 in Etna, Ohio. The collision involved a total of five vehicles and tragically resulted in the loss of six lives, leaving 18 others injured.

The charter bus, operated by Pioneer Trails, was transporting students and chaperones from the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District in eastern Ohio to the Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus. The bus was carrying a driver and 54 students and chaperones at the time of the accident.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, three passengers on the bus were pronounced dead at the scene. They were identified as John W. Mosley, 18, of Mineral City; Jeffery D. Worrell, 18, of Bolivar; and Katelyn N. Owens, 15, of Mineral City.

As news of the tragedy spread, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine expressed his condolences during a press conference, stating, “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.”

A total of 15 students and the bus driver were transported to nearby hospitals, while other students were taken to a reunification site where they could be safely reunited with their families. Sadly, all three occupants of 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 taken to a hospital for treatment. Of the drivers of the commercial vehicles involved, one was also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, while the other received treatment at the scene.

The accident occurred on Interstate 70 in Licking County, approximately 26 miles (42 kilometers) east of Columbus, around 9 a.m. The chain-reaction crash resulted in multiple vehicles catching fire. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation, and a team of National Transportation Safety Board investigators is en route to the scene.

Pioneer Trails, in a written statement, expressed its condolences to those affected by the crash and assured that it is fully cooperating with authorities. The company refrained from making further comments until the investigation is complete.

In response to the tragedy, the American Red Cross sent 30 units of blood to a hospital in the Mount Carmel Health System to aid the victims. Additionally, a center was set up at a United Methodist Church in Etna to provide support to bus passengers who did not require medical attention, allowing them to contact their loved ones.

The Tuscarawas Valley Middle-High School parking lot was filled with worried parents as they arrived to pick up their children. School officials were present, offering support and information about the incident. Parent Laurie Fragasse expressed her distress, stating, “I’m sick. I’m sick to my stomach.”

Emergency responders, including numerous police officers and Ohio Department of Transportation personnel, swiftly arrived at the scene to provide assistance. Traffic was redirected as entrance ramps to I-70 East and West were closed, causing congestion along the surrounding roads.

This tragic collision involving high school students on a charter bus is the second such incident in recent months. In September, a charter bus carrying high school students to band camp veered off a New York highway, resulting in the deaths of two people and multiple injuries.

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of one of the victim’s names. The Associated Press erroneously reported the last name of one of the victims, based on information obtained from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. It was John W. Mosley, not Mosely.

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Reporting from Toledo, Ohio, AP writer John Seewer contributed to this report.