A bus carrying students collided with truck in Ohio on Tuesday morning, killing three people and injuring at least 18 others.
The crash occurred about 26 miles east of Columbus and involved a bus, a semi-truck, and three other vehicles.
The semi-truck rear-ended the bus just before 9 a.m. on I-70 West near the Smoke Road underpass, according to Sean Grady, Licking County’s emergency management agency director.
Dispatchers classified the crash as a “mass casualty incident, level 3,” which means 10 or more people may have been hurt.
The bus was carrying 57 people, including students from Tuscarawas Valley Local School District in eastern Ohio, officials said.
Among the injured were 15 students.
The bus had band students on board, school district staff told 19 News.
Superintendent Dr. Derek Varansky shared the “devastating and heartbreaking” news in a statement that was posted to social media.
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“Today, a charter bus carrying Tusky Valley students and chaperones on the way to the Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus was involved in a very serious accident,” Varansky said.
“Right now, our focus is on getting in touch with our Tusky Valley families who had loved ones on the bus and providing support to our entire school community. Our Trojan family is strong, and it will take that strength and love to get throughout these coming challenging days,” the superintendent said.
Organizers canceled the conference the students were headed to when they heard of the crash.
The bus company, Pioneer Trails, also released a statement confirming an incident with one of its buses.
“Pioneer is fully cooperating with the authorities as we work to find the cause of the accident. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those impacted by this accident. As this is an ongoing investigation, there will be no further comments,” the bus company said.
Governor Mike DeWine (R) appeared with authorities, including Ohio state troopers, at a press conference at the scene of the accident on Tuesday.
“This is our worst nightmare, when we have a bus full of children involved in a crash,” DeWine said during the press conference. “Prayers go out to the families, everyone who was on the bus.”
A large number of emergency responders arrived at the scene, and dozens of emergency vehicles remained at the crash site hours after it happened, the Associated Press reported.
Meanwhile, police blocked the entrance ramps on both sides of the highway.
Smoke could be seen coming from the crash site, Ohio Department of Transportation cameras showed.