Driver strikes Milligan University cycling team, killing 2 and injuring 7
Two members of the Milligan University cycling team were killed and seven others were injured, including four in critical condition, after a driver struck the group during a training ride in Tennessee, according to officials.
The crash happened at about 9 a.m. Wednesday on Highway 19 near Simerly Creek Road in Carter County, according to Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) Maj. Roy Brown. Eleven cyclists from the university were riding together when they were struck by a vehicle.
Milligan University President Stephen Waers identified the two students who were killed as Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers. Seven other students were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Johnson City Medical Center received all seven injured cyclists. Four were listed in critical condition in the surgical intensive care unit, two are stable and one was evaluated and released, according to trauma medical director Bracken Burns.
Three patients required treatment from orthopedic trauma specialists, and one of them will require an additional operation.
John Benfield, 69, of Newland, North Carolina, was taken into custody and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide by recklessness and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle by recklessness. District Attorney General Steven Finney said additional charges are possible.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. The exact circumstances, including whether the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, are not yet known.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
