BREAKING: PRELIMINARY REPORT RELEASED IN DEADLY TENNESSEE SCHOOL BUS CRASH

The Tennessee Department of Safety has released its first preliminary report into the fatal Carroll County school bus crash, providing new details, but still leaving most questions unanswered.

According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the crash involved a Clarksville-Montgomery County school bus carrying 29 people at the time—24 students, 4 adults, and the driver. Tragically, 2 students lost their lives in the crash, and several others were injured, with multiple individuals still hospitalized.

Arianna Pearson and Zoe Davis have been identified as the students who lost their lives.

Emergency response to the scene was extensive. A total of 9 medical helicopters were called in, with 7 transporting patients to trauma centers in Memphis and Nashville. Additional victims were taken by ground ambulance to nearby hospitals.

Investigators with THP’s Critical Incident Response Team and Pupil Transportation Division are continuing to piece together exactly what happened. Officials say they are actively collecting witness statements, reviewing digital and physical evidence, and reconstructing the crash. At this point, the cause has not been determined.

The report also identified those involved in the crash:

The school bus was driven by Sabrina R. Ducksworth and is owned by the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System.

The TDOT dump truck was driven by Dennis E. Coleman Jr. and was towing an attenuator.

A third vehicle involved was a 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer driven by James Bays.

Support services remain in place for students, families, and staff impacted by this tragedy, with chaplains and peer support teams continuing to assist the community.

While this report gives us a clearer picture of who and what was involved, it still does not answer the biggest question—what caused this crash.

This remains an active and ongoing investigation. More updates are expected.

***As I was searching for information on the bus driver, I came across these facebook posts and wanted to share. I think I found Sabrina’s social media, but am not going to post a photo of her at this time. We still have no word on what caused her to cross the center line leading to the crash.

Tennessee Highway Patrol report gives driver details in fatal Carroll Co. bus crash

The Tennessee Highway Patrol has released new information, including the drivers of the fatal bus wreck involving a Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools class of eighth-graders.

Three vehicles were involved in the fatal crash in Carroll County on March 27 that resulted in the death of two middle school students: a Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools bus, a TDOT dump truck and a Chevrolet Trailblazer.

According to the THP report, the CMCSS bus had 29 passengers: 24 students, four adults and the driver.

The report identifies Sabrina R. Ducksworth as the driver of the 2024 Blue Bird School Bus, owned by the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System.

Driving the TDOT vehicle was Dennis E. Coleman Jr., and James Bays was driving the 2024 blue Chevrolet Trailblazer.

Multiple individuals remain hospitalized as of March 30, the report states.

The wreck occurred near Cedar Grove, about 20 minutes outside of Jackson, according to THP.

Nine medical helicopters were dispatched to the scene, with seven completing flights to trauma centers in Memphis and Nashville, THP previously reported.

Ground ambulances transported additional patients to local hospitals.

Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT) is investigating with the Pupil Transportation Division and is continuing to gather witness statements, collect physical and digital information, and reconstruct the crash, the report says.

National Transportation Safety Board investigating

On March 30, the National Transportation Safety Board announced that it is joining the investigation into what happened.

According to a statement, the NTSB will look into the driver’s performance, student passenger occupant protection and the oversight of school transportation operations.

THP sent chaplains and peer support groups to the scene and they are continuing to assist affected families and communities. Support services remain in place for students, families, and staff affected by this tragic incident.

Kirsten Fiscus of The Tennessean contributed to this story.