The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report on the fatal bus crash that killed six people involved with the Tusky Valley high school band while they were on a trip to Columbus.
Previous reports from the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) said five vehicles were involved. These vehicles included:
- An orange Volvo semi-tractor was at the front of the line of cars
- Followed by a Maroon Toyota Highlander SUV
- The commuter bus carrying 54 Tusky Valley students and chaperones
- A silver Nissan Murano SUV driven by teacher David Kennat and carrying chaperones Kristy Gaynor and Shannon Wigfield
- A white Freightliner semi-tractor at the rear of the line.
The semi rear-ended the Nissan Murano carrying one teacher and two chaperones. The Murano then rear-ended the bus.
A fire ignited in the rear of the bus and the engine compartment of the white semi-tractor.
After the Murano hit the bus, the bus rear-ended the other SUV, which spun out and hit the orange semi-tractor.
The NTSB’s report matched the OSHP report in saying that the white semi-tractor did not slow down when traffic backed up in front of him. The OSHP’s report did not identify what was causing the traffic to back up. The NTSB report said the backup was caused by an earlier crash about a mile ahead.
Investigators said the crash killed Tusky Valley High band students John Mosley, Jeffery Worrell and Katelyn Owens on the bus. Parent chaperones Shannon Wigfield and Kristy Gaynor, along with teacher Dave Kennat, were killed in the SUV.
