CARROLL COUNTY, Tenn. (WZTV) — Federal investigators are probing a multi-vehicle crash involving a school bus that occurred on March 27, resulting in two fatalities and numerous injuries.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the accident happened around 11:35 a.m. on U.S. Highway 70, near Cedar Grove. A bus from the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System was westbound with 24 students and four chaperones returning from an event. Simultaneously, a dump truck from the Tennessee Department of Transportation and an SUV were traveling eastbound.
The NTSB reported that the bus crossed the centerline, sideswiped the dump truck, collided with the SUV, and then rolled down an embankment. Two students from the bus were killed, while the driver and several passengers sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious. The two occupants of the dump truck were also seriously injured; the SUV passengers were unharmed.
Authorities confirmed that weather conditions were clear, and the roadway was dry at the time of the incident. Highway 70 is a two-lane road with a 55 mph speed limit.
Records obtained by FOX 17 News identify the bus driver as Sabrina Ducksworth. She held a valid commercial driver's medical certification, although family members reported she may have experienced a medical episode, which remains unconfirmed by authorities.
The NTSB is collaborating with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Tennessee Highway Patrol to determine the crash's cause and develop safety recommendations, focusing on factors such as driver health and school transportation protocols.