A catastrophic accident on Interstate 70 West near Licking County, Ohio, resulted in the deaths of six individuals, including three students, and injuries to 20 others. The collision, which took place on the morning of November 14, 2023, involved a charter bus from the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District in eastern Ohio and a semi-truck.
The bus, which was carrying 57 passengers, including students and chaperones, was en route to a conference in Columbus, Ohio, when it was rear-ended by the semi-truck. This led to a major collision involving two other commercial vehicles and two passenger vehicles. Among the casualties were three students – two 18-year-old boys and a 15-year-old girl – and three adults in another vehicle. The crash was so severe that it caused at least three of the vehicles to catch fire.
Sean Grady, Director of the Licking County Emergency Management Agency, confirmed the tragic outcome. In response, emergency services from Licking and eastern Franklin Counties, Ohio, were dispatched swiftly to the scene. The injured were taken to five nearby hospitals, including Grant Medical Center, Mount Carmel East, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
The bus, operated by Pioneer Trails, a family-owned company based in Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio, was extensively damaged. The Ohio State Police have taken up the investigation into the crash’s cause. Following the accident, the highway was shut down in both directions, leading to substantial traffic delays.
In a significant move, the American Red Cross contributed 30 units of blood to a local hospital, reflecting the grave nature of the incident and the immediate need for medical assistance for the victims.
