A school bus containing 25 students and five adults recently collided with a Tennessee Department of Transportation dump truck and a Chevrolet Trailblazer, leaving two middle school children dead and others injured.
Officers responded to the crash around noon on March 27 near the intersection of Highway 70 and Cedar Grove, the Tennessee Highway Patrol Major Travis Plotzer confirmed in a statement to USA Today.
Among the 25 Kenwood Middle School students headed to Jackson, Tennessee, for a field trip, two were pronounced dead at the scene.
“I want to speak directly to the families of the students that we lost today: There are no adequate words we can use to ease the pain that you’re feeling right now. This is a parent’s worst nightmare,” said Plotzer during a media conference in Carroll County.
Devastating news. Prayers for the students, families, at Kenwood Middle School.
Two of the students were pronounced dead at the scene. The bus crash officials said, involving a Chevrolet Trailblazer and a TDOT dump truck. Several others were hospitalized. pic.twitter.com/XnYoXxEAIS
— 𝖲ɑᑲꪱᜒ౿ 🪷 (@sunflowersabie) March 27, 2026
He also confirmed that while there were 25 students and five employees on the Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools bus, the Tennessee Department of Transportation dump truck contained two passengers, and the Chevrolet contained one.
“This is a bad day in Montgomery County. Prayer is absolutely needed right now,” said county Mayor Wes Golden.
Meanwhile, Montgomery County Commissioner David Shelton said, “Please join me in prayer for the families and everyone impacted by this tragic event. May the Lord of all creation be with them, and may we all comfort those who need it.”
In a Facebook post, the Tennessee Highway Patrol wrote that multiple people were “airlifted to trauma centers in Nashville and Memphis,” following the accident.
“The cause of the crash remains under active investigation. We are working to gather all facts before releasing additional details. We will provide updates as confirmed information becomes available. We are grateful to the first responders, EMS, and flight crews whose quick actions helped save lives,” the post added.
THP is currently on the scene of a fatal crash in Carroll Co. near Highway 70 and Cedar Grove involving an out of county school bus and another vehicle.
This remains an ongoing investigation, and troopers are actively working to determine the circumstances of the crash. pic.twitter.com/CJHyJ6dgeh
— Tennessee Highway Patrol (@TNHighwayPatrol) March 27, 2026
According to a Vanderbilt Health spokesperson cited by The Mirror, four people in stable condition were taken to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville following the incident. While another 19 people were taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County, who were evaluated and later discharged, added Kim Alexander, a spokesperson for Baptist Memorial Health Care.
“At this time, we will rely on families to determine how and when to communicate this at home. We recognize that many children may struggle with grief or uncertainty when learning about a loss. We encourage you to be attentive to your child’s emotional needs and to create space for them to express their thoughts or feelings. Our school counseling team are ready to assist and can also connect families with additional community resources if needed,” Dr. Miller, principal of Kenwood Middle School, said in a Facebook statement.
The investigation is ongoing, and Plotzer said that “it doesn’t appear that TDOT had any contributing factors to the crash.”
