“A PARENT’S WORST NIGHTMARE” — TRAGEDY ON THE ROAD LEAVES FAMILIES SHATTERED. Two students have died and at least seven others were injured after a devastating school bus crash in Tennessee. Early reports suggest a transportation department dump truck was nearby — but did not directly cause the crash, adding to the confusion surrounding what really happened in those critical moments. As details continue to emerge, one thing is already clear… This is the kind of tragedy every parent fears — sudden, unthinkable, and impossible to undo.

A school bus crash in west Tennessee on Friday killed two students and injured at least seven other people, officials said. The crash, involving a Tennessee Department of Transportation dump truck, a Chevrolet Trailblazer, and the school bus, took place at about noon on Highway 70 in Carroll County, according to Maj. Travis Plotzer, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Highway Patrol. He noted that while details were still being sorted out, it appeared the dump truck did not contribute to the crash itself.

There were 25 students and five adults on the bus. The group was traveling from Kenwood Middle School in Clarksville on a field trip to Jackson, Tennessee, according to a statement from the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. During a news conference, Plotzer confirmed the deaths of two students and said at least seven others were transported by air ambulance to hospitals, though the extent of their injuries was not immediately known.

Plotzer described the incident as “a parent’s worst nightmare.” School principal Karen Miller said counselors would be available starting Monday. In a message shared with families on Facebook, she called the crash an unimaginable tragedy and urged parents to pay close attention to their children’s emotional well-being as they cope with the loss of their classmates.

Four people were taken to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville and were reported to be in stable condition. Another 19 individuals were transported to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County, where they were evaluated and later released, though it was not clear how many had sustained injuries.