2 Milligan University students dead, 7 injured after driver crashes into schools cycling team
Two Tennessee college athletes were killed and seven others injured when a reckless driver crashed into a cycling team during their training ride Wednesday morning.Milligan University sophomores Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers were part of an 11-cyclist training session when they were allegedly struck by 69-year-old John Benfield just before 9:00 a.m.on Highway 19E in Hampton, Tenn, the Tennessee Highway Patrol said.“We are profoundly shocked and saddened to share that members of our cycling team were in an accident involving a vehicle this morning while cycling,” Milligan University said in a statement.
“There are no words to adequately describe this level of loss.Our prayers are with all those impacted by this tragedy.”Engdahl and Rogers were pronounced dead at the crash site — which occurred approximately 11 miles from campus — while seven injured cyclists were rushed to nearby Johnson City Medical Center.Four victims are in critical condition in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, with two others in stable condition, JMCU Trauma Director Dr.
Bracken Burns said.The seventh cyclist was evaluated and later released.Officials did not publicly identify the injured athletes.“Today has been an extraordinarily difficult day for a lot of people in upper East Tennessee,” the Tennessee Highway Patrol said in a statement.“Families have lost loved ones.
Others are waiting for news about people who were hurt.Teammates, coaches and an entire university community are trying to process something no one expected when this day began.“We know there are people hurting right now, and before we talk about the investigation, we want them to know that our hearts also break and we are praying for them,” the THP said.Benfield, a resident of Newland, NC, was charged with two counts of vehicular homicide by recklessness and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle by recklessness, Tennessee First Judicial District Attorney General Steven Finney said.Finney didn...