Semitruck failed to slow down before deadly Ohio crash, state report says

Bailey Gallion, USA TODAY NETWORK
·3 min read
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — A report and footage released by the Ohio Department of Public Safety revealed additional details about a fatal Nov. 14 crash that killed three high school students and three adults on Interstate 70.

According to the report, a 2019 semitruck followed too closely in traffic and failed to slow down, and struck another vehicle before hitting the charter bus carrying students from Tuscarawas Valley Middle-High School. None of the drivers involved were found to be distracted or under the influence, officials said.

Additionally, none of the bus passengers listed in the report were wearing seatbelts, and it’s unclear if the vehicle, owned by Pioneer Trails, Inc., was equipped with them.

The report also detailed how the fatal crash occurred. The bus, a Nissan Murano, a Toyota Highlander, and a Volvo truck were westbound on I-70 and slowing down for traffic when the semi hit the Murano and forced it into the rear-end of the bus, the report added. The semi, owned by Hebron-based trucking company Mid State Systems, pushed it into the road and it struck the back of the bus.

The impact forced the bus into the Highlander, the report said. The SUV then hit the Volvo before the Highlander spun into the left lane. The bus then struck the rear end of the Volvo.

The driver of the semi passed a drug and alcohol test, and results for the driver of the Nissan Murano were unknown at the time the report was written.

Ohio crash: What we know about the charter bus, truck collision leaving 6 dead, 18 injured

The crash killed six people. Those who died included:

  • John W. Mosley, 18, of Mineral City, Ohio, was a high school senior and member of the marching band, choir, drama club, and track team.

  • Jeffery D. Worrell, 18, of Bolivar, Ohio, a high school senior who could regularly be heard reading the morning announcements. He was also a member of the marching band, choir, drama club, the speech and debate team, and the pep club.

  • Katelyn N. Owens, 15, of Mineral City, Ohio, was a high school sophomore who family and friends called the "sweetest person."

  • Dave Kennat, 56, of Navarre, Ohio, was a teacher and ski club adviser at Tuscarawas Valley High School, where he found ways to marry his dual passions for mathematics and nature. He taught there for 31 years.

  • Kristy Gaynor, 39, of Zoar, Ohio, volunteered her time in the close-knit communities in Tuscarawas County, including as a parent-chaperone in the fatal bus crash.

  • Shannon Wigfield, 45, of Bolivar, was "a bright light" for students as an English teacher at the Buckeye Career Center, colleagues said. She was a parent-chaperone on the bus ride.

Footage shows bus engulfed in flames, victims scattered on grass

The video footage released by the Ohio Highway Patrol shows that first responders were not immediately sure whether all students were off the bus. Body-worn camera footage shows an officer arriving and being told not everyone was off the bus.

The officer calls out to anyone on the bus, but no one responds. The seats appear empty except those at the back of the bus, which aren't visible because they're engulfed in flames. The officer leaves the bus, and other first responders who enter after him can be seen coughing and gagging.

The footage also shows witnesses and crash victims scattered across the grass by the side of the road. One person receives CPR while someone tells the officer that there are several people with suspected broken legs or feet. One female victim can't feel her legs, someone tells the officer. The footage ends as firefighters work to extinguish the vehicles.

The crash remains under investigation, with the National Transportation Safety Board expected to issue its findings within weeks.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio charter bus crash: Semi failed to slow down before fatal strike