A tragic accident occurred on an Ohio highway Tuesday, involving a charter bus carrying students from a local high school. According to Sean Grady, the Director of Licking County Emergency Management Agency, the bus was rear-ended by a semitruck, resulting in three fatalities and 15 injuries.
The students were from Tuscarawas Valley, a school located in eastern Ohio. They were on their way to the Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus, which was approximately 100 miles away. Derek Varansky, the superintendent of the Tuscarawas Valley School District, confirmed that the students were accompanied by chaperones.
Upon receiving the devastating news, Varansky expressed his sorrow in a letter addressed to the school community. He mentioned that law enforcement had informed them about multiple serious injuries and that they were working to gather more details about the accident.
The incident took place around 9 a.m. on Interstate 70 West in Licking County. The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Several individuals who were injured in the accident are currently receiving medical treatment at five different hospitals. The severity of their injuries is currently unknown.
Upon arrival at the scene, numerous emergency responders were present, and footage from Ohio Department of Transportation cameras revealed smoke emanating from the crash site. As a result, the highway has been closed in both directions, leading to significant traffic delays.
Mickey Lymon, an investigator from the Licking County Coroner's Office, confirmed their presence at the scene but directed further inquiries to the state police.
Following the incident, Rep. Troy Balderson from Ohio expressed his condolences in a tweet on X (formerly Twitter).
"I am deeply saddened to learn about the tragic collision on I-70 involving a semitruck and a bus carrying students. My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected, and I will continue to closely monitor the situation," wrote Balderson.
