ETNA, Ohio — Six people, including three teenage students, were killed in a multi-vehicle crash on an Ohio highway Tuesday morning, officials said.
Five vehicles — including a charter bus carrying 54 Ohio high school students and chaperones — were involved in the crash, which occurred on Interstate 70 in Etna shortly before 9 a.m. local time, officials said.
Officials released the students on the bus who died on scene as John W. Mosely, 18, Jeffery D. Worrell, 18, and Katelyn N. Owens, 15.
A total of 15 students and the bus driver were transported to area hospitals. The remaining students were taken to a reunification site.
Among the passenger cars involved in the wreck, officials identified Dave Kennat, 56, Kristy Gaynor, 39 and Shannon Wigfield, 45, as among those who died.
One driver involved in the crash was transported to a local hospital with non-threatening injuries, officials said.
A Pioneer Trails charter bus transporting students from Tuscarawas Valley School was among the five vehicles involved in the crash, according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
“Let me just say that this is our worst nightmare when we have a bus full of children in a crash,” DeWine said during a press briefing Tuesday.
Gov. DeWine, earlier Tuesday, confirmed the crash was fatal but said no other details would be released until all the proper notifications have been made. Eighteen people were transported to seven area hospitals, he said.
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Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools superintendent Derek Varansky said students and chaperones were traveling to the Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus when their charter bus was involved in a “very serious accident.”
“We understand from law enforcement that there may be multiple serious injuries and we are working to learn the details,” Varansky said in a message to the school community.
In addition to high school students, parents and teachers were among those on board, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Tuscarawas office.
Pioneer Trails said it is “fully cooperating with the authorities as we work to find the cause of the accident.”
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those impacted by this accident,” the company said in a statement. “As this is an ongoing investigation, there will be no further comments.”
The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team of investigators to the crash site. NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy and the team were expected to arrive Tuesday evening, the agency said.
ABC News’ Alexandra Faul and Sam Sweeney contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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