CEDAR GROVE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report on the March 27 school bus crash that killed two students and injured dozens in Carroll County.
According to the report issued April 16, a 2024 Blue Bird school bus operated by the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System was traveling west on U.S. 70 around 11:35 a.m. when it crossed the centerline into oncoming traffic.
The bus, carrying a driver, four adult chaperones and 24 students from Kenwood Middle School, was headed to a school event in Jackson.
Investigators said the bus first sideswiped a Tennessee Department of Transportation dump truck traveling east, then collided with a 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV. The bus left the roadway and came to rest down an embankment, remaining upright.
Two students on the bus died. The driver of the bus and two people in the dump truck suffered serious injuries. Other passengers on the bus were hurt, with injuries ranging from minor to serious. The two people in the SUV were not injured.
The NTSB said weather conditions were clear and the roadway was dry at the time of the crash. The stretch of U.S. 70 where the crash occurred is a two-lane road with a 55 mph speed limit.
The agency emphasized the findings are preliminary and subject to change. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
The investigation remains ongoing, with the NTSB working alongside the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Officials said the goal is to determine a probable cause and issue safety recommendations to help prevent similar crashes in the future.
Austin Pollack brings us an update on a remarkable young man facing great odds, and his family has one simple request: pray for Cole. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you'll join me in lifting up Cole and his family.
- Carrie Sharp
