ZOARVILLE, Ohio — At a vigil Tuesday evening, the Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools superintendent addressed a bus crash on I-70 in Licking County that has left six people dead and sent more than a dozen others to the hospital.
According to Superintendent Dr. Derek Varansky, high school band members and chaperones were on a charter bus on their way to a Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus. Three students were killed along with three adult chaperones riding in a car that had been following the bus.
Following an earlier statement released late Tuesday morning, Varansky read the following letter to Tusky Valley parents and families during the vigil at Trojan Stadium:
"Our hearts are broken by the tragic accident that happened today involving members of our high school band on their way to perform at the Ohio School Boards Association conference. We are saddened to share that we lost three students in the accident, students who were bright lights, full of life, and who lost their lives way too young.
"In addition, a car following the bus which contained one of our teachers and two parent chaperones was involved in the accident. Tragically, all three lost their lives. There are no words for the magnitude of loss and grief felt by all of us.
"Those lost in today’s tragedy include senior J.D. Worrell, senior Wyatt Mosley, and sophomore Katelyn Owens as well as high school teacher Dave Kennat, and parents Kristy Gaynor, and Shannon Wigfield, who also served as a teacher at Buckeye Career Center.
"Twenty of our students were transported with reported injuries to five different Columbus-area hospitals. As of this notification, 18 of those children have been discharged from the hospital and released to parents. Two of our students remain hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
"Following the accident, all of our uninjured students and directors were transported to a local church where students received care, counseling, and reunification began with families. In the meantime, back in the district, counselors met with all of our middle-high school students to provide support. All students were given the option to go home for the day. At the conclusion of the school day, counselors and Sheriff Campbell met with all district staff to learn more and to grieve.
"Though difficult, school will be in session tomorrow. We do not want children home alone, yet we respect students and parents who wish for their child to remain at home. Counselors and support staff from many community organizations and neighboring districts will be on site tomorrow to support students and staff as we grieve this loss.
"Thank you to the many school districts and community agencies near and far who reached out today to show their love and support for the TV district and are lifting our district up in their thoughts and prayers.
"I encourage us to stay strong, united, and supportive of one another in the days and weeks to come. Please keep the families in your thoughts and prayers. Please be in touch with any of us here at TV anytime if we can be of service or support to you and your family.
"If you are struggling, please call the crisis hotline at 330-343-6631 or call or text the state helpline at 988."
The charter bus was rear-ended by a semi truck. There were 55 people on board, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The accident occurred shortly before 9 a.m. on Interstate 70 West in Licking County, near the Smoke Road underpass, with the car that held the three deceased chaperones being sandwiched between the bus and semi. The cause was not immediately known. The injured were treated at five hospitals.
The OSHP as well as the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash. Several agencies from the surrounding areas responded to the scene.
The American Red Cross of Central and Southern Ohio said it fulfilled a request for more blood from one hospital in the area, sending 30 units to a hospital in the Mount Carmel Health System, said Marita Salkowski, regional communications director. A center was set up at a United Methodist Church in Etna for bus passengers not in need of medical attention to go to and contact loved ones, she said.
The students and chaperones were riding on a Pioneer Trails charter bus. The company gave the below statement to 3News:
"Pioneer Transportation can confirm that there was an incident Tuesday morning with one of our 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."
Meanwhile, in a statement to WKYC, the Ohio School Boards Association says it is cancelling its conference following the crash.
"Today, a charter bus carrying Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools students and chaperones on the way to the annual OSBA conference was involved in a very serious accident including multiple serious injuries according to law enforcement.
"Given this devastating news, we have canceled our conference. Right now, our focus is on providing support to Tuscarawas Valley. That includes making grief counselors from our trade show available.
"We are praying for the entire Tuscarawas Valley family."
Even though the school day at Tuscarawas Middle-High School continued after the crash happened, many parents took their kids out of class early. Quite a few students could be seen crying as they left the school to go home with their parents, clearly shaken by the bus crash.
One mother told 3News it was just too heavy of a day for her daughters to stay focused in class. People from the community came to the school to show support as well, including the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
“We’re providing our member assistance team, which is part of the highway patrol’s wellness program to provide grief counseling, trauma counseling, and any resources required for that,” said Lieutenant Laura Taylor. “This is a very, very tragic event and we are trying to do our best to help the community and everybody involved through it.”
3News also talked to a recent graduate, Landon Gordon, who said as soon as he saw images of the crash, he had to come to the school. He just graduated in May and came with his mother to give prayer and support.
"It's all about the families," he said. "It's hard to describe. Just pray for them. Just pray for people. It's just hard to imagine, such a shock."
His mother, Susie Gordon, said they're still very much attached to the school and that's what compelled them to show up, heartbroken by the crash.
"The things that we don't know, that's the hard thing," she said. "It's just so much that happened and so many people were trapped in there. It's just really sad. So, when these things happen, you just want to pull together."
Meanwhile, Tusky Valley High School boys varsity golf coach Darrell Markijohn led an effort to light hundreds of candles along Main Street in Zoar in honor of the victims. He struggled to hold back tears as he talked about the accident.
"They were such great musicians and great young men and women, and we lost some of those kids," Markijohn lamented. "Trying to make something straight out of something that's just a wrong day. I don't know, trying to make some balance in the world on a day that seems totally unbalanced."
Schools will be open tomorrow for counseling, but students will not be required to show up.