NTSB Issues Preliminary Report Regarding Fatal Bus Crash

CARROLL COUNTY (April 16) — The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has issued a preliminary report regarding the fatal accident that occurred March 27 on Highway 70 in Carroll County involving a Montgomery County school bus, a Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) dump truck and a Chevrolet Trailblazer.

The report, titled "School Bus Centerline Crossover and Multivehicle Collision" reads as follows:

On Friday, March 27, 2026, about 11:35 a.m. central daylight time, a 2024 Blue Bird Conventional Type C school bus operated by the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System was traveling west on US-70 between Cedar Grove and Huntingdon in Carroll County, Tennessee.

The school bus was occupied by a driver, four adult chaperones, and 24 student passengers. The bus was taking students from Kenwood Middle School in Clarksville to a school event in Jackson.

At the same time, a 2013 International WorkStar dump truck, operated by the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and a 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer sport utility vehicle (SUV) were traveling east on US-70.

The dump truck and the SUV each were occupied by a driver and one passenger.

As the vehicles approached each other, the school bus crossed the centerline of the roadway and entered the eastbound travel lane. The left side of the school bus struck the left side of the dump truck in a sideswipe collision. After impacting the dump truck, the school bus collided with the SUV, departed the roadway to the south, and came to rest facing down the roadside embankment but remained upright.

As a result of the crash, two student passengers in the school bus died. The school bus driver sustained serious injuries, and the remaining bus passengers sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious. The two occupants of the dump truck sustained serious injuries. The occupants of the SUV were uninjured.

At the time of the crash, the weather was clear and the roadway was dry. At this location, US-70 was a two-lane roadway with one eastbound traffic lane and one westbound traffic lane. The speed limit in this section of US-70 was 55 mph.

​Parties to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation are:

• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
• Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP)

All aspects of the crash remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause, with the intent of issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar events.

During a media briefing Friday, March 27, THP Major Travis Plotzer confirmed two middle school students were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Loved ones later identified the two children killed in the crash as eighth-graders Arianna Pearson and Zoe Davis, of Clarksville.

Multiple individuals remained hospitalized for several days after the crash.

THP’s preliminary report, released Monday, March 30, confirmed there were 24 Kenwood Middle School students, four adults and a driver on the school bus at the time of the crash. The students were en route to the Toyota Hub City Grand Prix Greenpower USA race in Jackson, Tenn., to race an electric car they had built.

The March 30 report revealed that Sabrina R. Ducksworth was driving the school bus registered to the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System.

Dennis E. Coleman Jr. was driving the TDOT dump truck. The truck was also towing an attenuator. James Bays was driving the blue 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer.

During the March 27 media briefing, Major Plotzer said it did not appear the TDOT truck had any “contributing factors” to the crash.

“All these victims, the families — everybody’s in our prayers tonight,” Carroll County Sheriff Andy Dickson said during Friday’s media briefing. “But also keep all our first responders in your prayers.”

All four units of Baptist Priority Ambulance Service of Carroll County responded to the scene on Friday. One unit from Baptist Ambulance Service of Obion County, four units from Medical Center EMS in Jackson and one unit from Henderson County EMS were also on the scene, joined by the Carroll County Fire Department, Huntingdon Fire Department, McKenzie Fire Department and the Carroll County Rescue Squad.

Baptist Priority Ambulance requested nine ambulance helicopters to respond to the scene. Of those, seven were used to transport patients to the following hospitals: Baptist Regional Medical Center in Memphis, Lebonheur Children’s Hospital, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt University Hospital and Skyline Medical Center.

The THP sent chaplains and peer support groups to the scene and they are continuing to assist affected families and communities. Support services remain in place for students, families and staff affected by this tragic incident.

As the Clarksville-Montgomery County community mourns, some individuals have set up GoFundMe fundraisers for both of the children who died in the crash as well as individuals who were critically injured. The funds will reportedly be used for funeral expenses, medical expenses and to help cover the burden of food and shelter while families and teachers care for their loved ones or recover in the hospital.

“I ask that everyone pray and wrap their arms around these students, employees, their families and the entire Kenwood community,” said Clarksville-Montgomery County Director of Schools Dr. Jean Luna-Vedder.

Communities across the state have rallied their support for the families affected by this incident. Locally, school districts in Clarksburg, Hollow Rock-Bruceton, Huntingdon, McKenzie and West Carroll encouraged students to wear black and gold on Monday, March 30, in support of the Kenwood Middle School community.