Tragic Bus Crash in Tennessee Kills 2 Students: What You Need to Know

CEDAR GROVE, Tenn. – Middle Tennessee is in mourning after a tragic school bus accident that claimed the lives of two students and left several others injured. The incident occurred on Friday when the bus, which was transporting students and staff to a field trip, collided with a dump truck and an SUV.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is currently investigating the crash, but the exact cause remains unknown. Here’s what has been revealed so far:

Who Was on the Bus?

The bus belonged to the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System and was carrying 25 Kenwood Middle School students along with five adults. They were en route to Jackson for the Greenpower USA event.

“Tragically, two students on the bus were killed. Several others were injured, with multiple airlifted to trauma centers in Nashville and Memphis,” a spokesperson from the Tennessee Highway Patrol said.

Loved ones have identified the two children who lost their lives in the crash as Zoe Davis and Arianna Pearson. A GoFundMe page also recognized one of the victims as Zoe Davis. Zoe’s mother shared her grief at a Saturday vigil.

“She was one-of-a-kind, smart, insanely funny, and losing her will never make sense to any of us,” the GoFundMe says.

The Montgomery County Soccer Association paid tribute to Arianna on Sunday, which would have been her birthday. The post highlighted her contributions to the sport and her positive impact on those around her.

“She was not only an incredible soccer player, but also an amazing person who brought kindness, dedication, and heart to everything she did,” the post said.

A GoFundMe created to support Arianna’s family can be found online. Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County reported treating 19 patients in the wake of the crash, with all being evaluated and discharged. Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt confirmed that four children were transported to their facilities for treatment. Three of these patients have since been discharged, while one remains in stable condition.

How Did the Crash Happen?

Dash camera footage of the crash shows the school bus crossing the center line and colliding head-on with a dump truck. The bus then struck an SUV before flipping into a ditch.

Authorities are still investigating the incident, and the community is struggling to process the tragedy.

Family Witnesses the Collision

When Xaviel and Rosalee Lugo sent their eighth grader, Xelani, on the bus to Jackson for a field trip, they were excited about the opportunity. She and 24 of her classmates were heading to the Greenpower USA Toyota Hub City Grand Prix, where they had spent the year building an electric car.

“We put a lot of effort into this,” Xelani said. “Not only has this experience built us as teammates, but also as individuals. It’s been a big learning experience.”

Xaviel and Rosalee followed the bus down Highway 70, hoping to see the event. However, the bus crashed head-on into a TDOT dump truck and then a Chevy Trailblazer.

“I had my head resting on the window,” Xelani said. “My eyes were closed. I opened my eyes and all I saw was us moving downward, it looked like out the window. And then the whole left side of the bus just crashed in and I saw people fly pretty much backwards. People that were sitting in the front rows ended up right in front of me. I was the fourth row from the back.”

From inside the bus, Xelani described the chaos that followed. “People were crying. It was loud. It was chaotic.” She noted that some people thought it was a minor crash, but she could see the severity of the situation.

Xaviel and Rosalee, who were following the bus, witnessed the crash firsthand. “I didn’t initially see the dump truck that was coming, and then it’s just like, you heard the sound, and then you saw like a fireball kind of happen,” Xaviel said.

Both parents immediately began helping to evacuate the children, even before checking on their own daughter. They mentioned that a teacher, Mr. Winn, helped despite being injured.

“He was bleeding and he couldn’t hardly see,” Xaviel said. “He said he couldn’t see very much, but he was like, ‘Get the kids, get the kids.’”

After the evacuation, Xelani described the aftermath. “The whole front of my face was hurting,” she said. “The back of my head and the top of my head was hurting. There were sirens going off. There were people screaming and crying. There were people on the ground that weren’t moving.”

Xelani was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center along with several classmates. She was diagnosed with a head injury and was released late Friday night. However, two of her classmates did not survive the crash.

“I saw a lot of blood that was just dripping by, and I couldn’t get in,” Xaviel said. “I wanted to get in because I know there was one more that I could kind of see, but I couldn’t get in, and that was one of the ones that we found out passed away.”

“We’re really sorry,” Rosalee said. “We tried to get everyone out.”

Parent Describes Daughter’s Harrowing Account

Suzy Butler was among the first to learn about the crash when her middle schooler called her from the wreckage. “The bus had just crashed, and they had just evacuated off the bus, and she was just in hysterics,” Butler said. “She’s like, ‘I’m OK, but Mom, the other kids aren’t. The other kids aren’t.’”

Butler, who was hours away from her daughter, said she had to coach her through the situation by phone. “The FaceTime call I’ll never, ever forget because of the wailing and the crying of the kids that I heard in the background,” she said. “All I want to do is just like go through the phone and hold her and hug her and tell her it’s OK, but all I could do is just talk her through it. I just kept saying to her, ‘help is on the way.’”

The group was on a field trip heading to a Greenpower USA competition in Jackson. Butler explained that the students had spent the year building an electric car they would have raced at the Toyota Hub City Grand Prix on Saturday. That event ultimately went on without the Kenwood Middle School teams.

Clarksville Community Rallies Around Survivors’ Families

Mollybees Tees and Embroidery in Clarksville opened its doors on Sunday, typically a closed day, to sell shirts benefiting families affected by the tragedy. Dozens of people lined up before the store opened, with the line stretching into the afternoon.

“Anything I can do to uplift this community and just help these people out, we’re all for it,” Paula Nelson said.

The crash left families navigating shock and grief as Clarksville residents looked for ways to help. “That could have been any of us,” said Marley Taylor, a 7th grader at Kenwood MS.

Students face returning to school on Monday with empty desks where their classmates once sat. “These kids are going to have to try to go to school on Monday, and their classmates not going to be there,” Nelson said.

One of the shirts sold read, “Two shining lights, forever our Knights.” The shirts are a tribute to the two students killed in the crash.

“This community is what it’s about… love and joining and being here for everybody,” Trini Williams said.

The school’s leadership announced that before school on Monday morning, students, staff, and faculty are invited to gather outside to remember the students lost. “It’s the Clarksville community… all just Montgomery County, one community… it really gives you hope in people again,” Nelson added.

Everyone who attends is encouraged to wear black and gold, the school colors, in honor of the students.