2013 — Oct 2, Church bus tire blowout, crash into SUV and tractor-trailer, I-40 east TN-8
–8 USA Today (Michael Winter). “8 dead in church bus crash on I-40 in Tennessee.” 10-3-2013
–8 WBTV.com. “Investigators release…names…church bus crash in Tenn.” 10-2-2013.
Oct 2 and 3: “Knoxville, TN (WBTV/WVLT) — The Tennessee Highway Patrol has identified seven of the eight people killed in a fiery bus crash on Interstate 40 on Wednesday. Six of the dead were members of the Front Street Baptist Church in Statesville, N.C. They include the bus driver, Randy Morrison, and his wife, Barbara Morrison. Other victims from the church are Cloyce Matheny, Brenda Smith, Marsha McLelland and John Wright. All are from Statesville except Wright, who is from Mocksville…. One person in the sport utility vehicle, Trent Roberts of Knoxville, was killed. The driver of the tractor-trailer also was killed but has not yet been identified.
“The Highway Patrol said no charges have been filed in the crash. The Highway Patrol says the bus veered across the median and into oncoming traffic after a tire blew out, hitting a sport utility vehicle and a tractor-trailer, which caught fire. Troopers said that the wire median barrier was not made to handle the weight of the bus.
“No juveniles were involved in the crash but troopers said it’s been hard to identify some of the victims due to the nature of the crash….
“Sgt. Miller says the bus was owned and operated by Front Street Baptist Church. “It was not a charter or a leased bus. It was a church-owned bus. They were on an adult outing and senior trip. The driver’s history, we can’t get into that at this point in time,” said Sgt. Miller. “As far as an issues with the bus, any safety issues, prior knowledge of that, that’s all under investigation as well.”….
“Authorities say the bus hit a tractor-trailer and sport utility vehicle. It happened along I-40 westbound at mile marker 423 in Jefferson County, Tenn., just past the I-40/I-81 interchange on Wednesday.
“Eighteen people from Front Street Baptist Church were on the bus. They were part of a senior group of church members called “Young at Heart.”
“There were three people in the SUV that was struck, one of those people died. The eighth victim was the driver of the tractor trailer….”
(WBTV.com, Charlotte, NC. “Investigators release victim names in deadly church bus crash in Tenn.” Oct 2, 2013, updated Oct 3. Accessed 10-3-2013 at:
http://www.fox19.com/story/23592786/at-least-six-dead-in-fatal-bus-crash-carrying-church-group-from-statesville)
Oct 3: “Eight people died and 14 were injured Wednesday afternoon when a North Carolina church bus crashed into an SUV and a tractor-trailer after it blew a tire and crossed a median on Interstate 40 in eastern Tennessee, according to police and news outlets. The fatalities included six of the 18 bus passengers, the big-rig driver and one of the three people in the Chevrolet Tahoe, said Tennessee Department of Safety spokeswoman Dalya Qualls. Fourteen people were injured, with four airlifted to area hospitals and eight transported by ambulance.
“The crash occurred about 2 p.m. near the Interstate 81 split in Jefferson County, about 30 miles east of Knoxville, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said. Qualls said the eastbound chartered bus veered into the westbound lanes after its left-front tire blew about 2 p.m., clipping the SUV before slamming into the tractor-trailer, which burst into flames, WBIR-TV reported.
“The bus carried members of the Front Street Baptist Church in Statesville, N.C., Dionne Stutts, wife of the senior pastor, told the station….
“Parishioners, mostly 55 and older, were returning from the 17th annual Fall Jubilee in Gatlinburg, Tenn., a three-day gathering of gospel singers and speakers….” (USA Today (Michael Winter). “8 dead in church bus crash on I-40 in Tennessee.” 10-3-2013. Accessed 10-3-2013 at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/02/fatal-tennessee-bus-crash/2910431/ )
Oct 3: “The small town of Statesville, N.C., was in mourning Thursday, a day after six members of Front Street Baptist Church were killed and 12 others were injured when their bus overturned on an East Tennessee interstate….
“Killed on the bus were:
- Cloyce Matheny, 95, of Statesville.
- John Wright, 73, of Mocksville.
- Brenda Smith, 69, of Statesville.
- Randy Morrison, 66, of Statesville. Morrison was driving the bus at the time of the crash, the patrol said.
- Barbara Morrison, 66, of Statesville, the driver’s wife.
- Marsha Mclelland, 62, of Statesville.
“….In addition to the driver of the tractor-trailer, Trent Roberts, 24, a rear-seat passenger in the Chevrolet Tahoe struck by the bus, was also killed….
“The investigation will be led by state and local agencies after the National Transportation Safety Board — whose assistance was requested — said it couldn’t send any investigators because of the federal government shutdown. “All of our highway investigators are furloughed,” Sharon Bryson, deputy director of communications for the NTSB, told NBC News on Thursday….
“Miller [TN HWY Patrol Sgt.] said the investigation remained in the very early stages, but he was able to confirm that the bus had seatbelts. However, it may never be possible to determine whether the passengers were wearing them because the bus was so extensively damaged, he said.
“While the cable restraint system dividing the east- and westbound lanes of I-40 are designed to stop vehicles from crossing the median, it’s not strong enough to halt a large bus traveling at full speed, Miller said. Not even a traditional barrier system — even a concrete divider wall — could have done that, he said. “We’re talking a 40,000-pound vehicle,” he said….” (NBC News (M. Alex Johnson). “As church grieves, victims of bus crash that killed 8 in Tennessee are identified.” 10-3-2013.)
Sources
NBC News (M. Alex Johnson). “As church grieves, victims of bus crash that killed 8 in Tennessee are identified.” 10-3-2013. Accessed 10-3-2013 at:
USA Today (Michael Winter). “8 dead in church bus crash on I-40 in Tennessee.” 10-3-2013. Accessed 10-3-2013 at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/02/fatal-tennessee-bus-crash/2910431/