The Milligan University community is mourning the deaths of two students after a vehicle struck members of the school’s cycling team during a training ride in northeastern Tennessee.
The crash happened Wednesday morning on U.S. 19E near Hampton, roughly 11 miles from Milligan’s campus. Eleven members of the university’s cycling team were riding together when the vehicle collided with the group.
Two students, Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers, died as a result of the crash. Seven other cyclists were taken to Johnson City Medical Center for treatment, while others were evaluated at the scene.
Two students killed
Engdahl and Rogers were both sophomores at Milligan University. Their deaths have left classmates, teammates, coaches and university staff grieving.
Milligan officials described the incident as a devastating loss and said the university is providing counseling and other support services to students and employees affected by the tragedy.
The cycling team is one of Milligan’s prominent athletic programs, with students competing at the collegiate level across the country.
Driver arrested
Authorities arrested a 69-year-old man from North Carolina following the collision. Investigators say he faces charges related to the deaths and injuries, including vehicular homicide and aggravated assault by vehicle.
The investigation remains active, and authorities have not yet released a complete explanation of what caused the vehicle to strike the cyclists.
Tennessee Highway Patrol investigators are examining the crash scene and gathering evidence to determine how the collision occurred.
Community rallies around injured cyclists
The crash has brought an outpouring of support for the injured students and their families.
Milligan’s cycling program has a strong competitive reputation, and the athletes involved were participating in a scheduled training ride when the tragedy occurred.
The university has asked the community to keep the injured students, their families and the families of Engdahl and Rogers in their thoughts.
As the investigation continues, Milligan is facing the difficult task of supporting its students while remembering two young athletes whose lives ended during what had begun as an ordinary morning training ride.
Source: wjhl
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