Big rig and bus full of students collide in ‘mass casualty’ crash, Ohio officials say

A semi-truck and a charter bus carrying students collided on an Ohio highway, causing a “mass casualty incident,” officials told news outlets.

There were 57 people on board the bus when a big rig crashed into it from behind, killing at least three and injuring 15, Licking County emergency officials told the Associated Press.

The crash happened at about 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, along U.S. Interstate 70, an image shared by the Ohio Department of Transportation shows. A thick plume of smoke can be seen rising from the scene of the crash, surrounded by emergency vehicles.

A Licking County Emergency Management official confirmed to McClatchy News that the crash was between a semi-truck and a charter bus, but declined to comment on injuries or fatalities, or if other vehicles were also involved.

The bus was carrying students and chaperones who were heading to an Ohio School Boards Association conference, the Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools Superintendent Derek Varansky said in a news release shared to Facebook.

“I have devastating and heartbreaking news to report,” the release said. “We understand from law enforcement that there may be multiple serious injuries and we are working to learn the details. Right now, our focus is on getting in touch with our Tusky Valley families who had loved ones on the bus and providing support to our entire school community.”

The crash was described as a “mass casualty incident, level 3” by dispatchers, meaning at least 10 people have been injured, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

Licking County is about 40 miles northeast of Columbus.

This story was originally published November 14, 2023 at 9:48 AM with the headline "Big rig and bus full of students collide in ‘mass casualty’ crash, Ohio officials say."