CARROLL COUNTY, TN (WGNS) - A heartbreaking tragedy unfolded around noon on Friday (03/27/2026) afternoon in Carroll County when a Montgomery County schools bus carrying Kenwood Middle School students collided with a T-DOT dump truck and Chevrolet Trailblazer along Highway 70 near Cedar Grove, TN. Two students have been confirmed deceased at the scene, and several others were injured in the violent crash that halted what was meant to be a routine field trip to Jackson. Families of everyone on board have been notified, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol is now conducting the investigation. The Clarksville‑Montgomery County School System confirmed that the bus was transporting students and staff from Kenwood Middle School when the collision occurred. 

Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden said that he “urges the community to pray for the students, adults, and first responders shaken by the loss." His words echoed what so many are feeling — that this is the kind of news no parent, no educator, no neighbor ever wants to hear.

The grief stretches far beyond school walls. Mayor Golden shared that his own family is mourning alongside the Kenwood community, acknowledging that no message can truly soften the blow of losing children in such a sudden, devastating way. He asked the community to surround one another with love, to lean on each other, and to hold close the people who matter most.

Governor Bill Lee also called for Tennesseans to join in prayer for the students, faculty, TDOT employees, and families affected by the crash, saying the state is “heartbroken over the loss of life” and praying for healing for the injured.

Details Surrounding Tragic Event

Baptist Memorial Hospital in Carroll County says it treated 19 patients from Friday’s bus crash, while the Tennessee Highway Patrol reports several more were injured and airlifted to trauma centers in Nashville and Memphis. Vanderbilt Health confirmed that four pediatric patients were flown to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol reports that the school bus was transporting 25 students and 5 adults, 2 persons were in the T-DOT dump truck, and 1 person was in the Chevrolet Trailblazer. 

The Kenwood Middle School students were traveling to Jackson for the GreenpowerUSA Toyota Hub City Grand Prix, a two‑day STEM racing event scheduled for March 27–28 at Rockabillys Baseball Stadium. According to organizers, teams were set to arrive Friday for practice sessions, with middle‑school heats and an awards ceremony planned for Saturday. The Montgomery County students were finalists in the competition.

However, this weekend Kenwood Middle School — and all of Montgomery County — is hurting. And across Tennessee, people are holding this community close, praying for strength, comfort, and peace in the difficult days ahead.