2 college cyclists killed and 7 injured in Tennessee car crash

Milligan University Cyclists Killed in Tennessee Highway Collision

Qwenews.com – A morning training ride turned fatal Wednesday when a vehicle struck a group of student-athletes in Hampton, a small community nestled in the Appalachian foothills of northeastern Tennessee. Two riders died and seven more sustained injuries in the crash, according to state officials.

Victims and Hospital Status

The two students killed were sophomores at Milligan University: Haylan Engdahl, from Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, and Brayden Rogers, from Huntsville, Alabama. University President Stephen Waers confirmed their deaths in a statement to the campus community.

The remaining seven injured riders were rushed to Johnson City Medical Center. By Wednesday evening, trauma medical director Dr. Bracken Burns reported that four patients remained in critical condition, two were stable but still hospitalized, and one had been released.

President’s Appeal to the Campus

“We need to help our brothers and sisters bear burdens that are too great for any one person to carry alone.”

Waers delivered those words in an emotional video message distributed to the school’s community, calling on students to gather in prayer for their wounded classmates.

Arrest and Charges

Hampton County District Attorney Steve Finney announced that a 69-year-old North Carolina resident had been taken into custody. He faces two counts of reckless vehicular homicide along with five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle with recklessness.

Team Background and Investigation

Milligan University, a private Christian institution enrolling just over 1,200 students, fields a competitive cycling program. Earlier this year, its men’s team captured the national championship in the team time trial at the USA Cycling Collegiate Road Nationals held in Wisconsin.

Tennessee Highway Patrol Major Roy Brown stated the agency was still working to determine the circumstances surrounding the collision. Officials noted the posted speed limit on the stretch of Highway 19 where the crash occurred is 50 miles per hour, roughly 80 kilometers per hour.