A devastating crash involving a Montgomery County school bus claimed the lives of two middle school students, identified as Zoe Davis and Arianna Pearson. The collision happened on March 27 along Highway 70 in Carroll County and involved a school bus, a TDOT dump truck, and a Trailblazer.

The bus, from Kenwood Middle School, was carrying students and staff on a field trip tied to a STEM program. In total, 25 students and 5 adults were on board. Two students were killed at the scene, while several others were injured—some critically—and airlifted to hospitals in Nashville and Memphis. Vanderbilt Health confirmed multiple pediatric patients were transported, while another hospital reported treating 19 individuals who were later released.

A student who was on the bus described the moments after impact as immediate chaos, with screaming and confusion as students tried to escape. She said it was difficult to exit through the front, and first responders had to use the rear emergency exit to get everyone off. Some students were reportedly unconscious.

A dash cam video is circulating that shows the school bus crossing the center line just before the crash. After the impact, the dash cam picks up the sound of children screaming. It’s hard to see and hear.

The group had been traveling to Jackson, Tennessee to participate in a GreenpowerUSA event after working on a project they were selected to compete with, something they had been looking forward to.

My prayers are with their families, friends, teachers, and classmates.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol says the cause of the crash is still under investigation.

This is an unimaginable loss for these families and the entire community.