2 Students Die in Tennessee School Bus Crash with Dump Truck
A Carroll County accident claimed the lives of two students and injured over a dozen others on a March 27 field trip for eighth graders at Clarksville-Montgomery County. A preliminary report adds new information to the story.
The accident sparked some lawmakers to debate if seat belts on school buses would have prevented these fatalities.
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School Bus Fleet
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On Friday, March 27, a Clarksville-Montgomery County school bus was involved in a multi-vehicle crash near Nashville while traveling to a field trip. Two students died on the scene; multiple other students and the driver were injured and airlifted to trauma centers in Memphis and Nashville, according to authorities.
The school bus collided with a Tennessee Department of Transportation dump truck. A Chevrolet Trailblazer was also involved in the accident. At the time of the crash, 24 students and four adults were on the bus.
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According to ABC News, the group on board included eighth-grade students and educators from Kenwood Middle School, headed to Jackson, Tennessee, for a weekend STEM competition.
On March 30, the names of the two students killed were released: Zoe Davis and Arianna Pearson. The driver of the school bus, a 2024 Blue Bird, was Sabrina R. Ducksworth.
“As the vehicles approached each other, the school bus crossed the centerline of the roadway and entered the eastbound travel lane,” the agency said. “The left side of the school bus struck the left side of the dump truck in a sideswipe collision. After impacting the dump truck, the school bus collided with the SUV, departed the roadway to the south, and came to rest facing down the roadside embankment but remained upright.”
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According to Clarksville Now, the explanation confirms what is shown in a dash cam video released by parents who were following the bus.
“All aspects of the crash remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause, with the intent of issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar events,” the report said.
The full investigation will likely take up to two years.
Following this news, Tennessee Sen. Mark Pody proposed legislation in the state to increase school bus safety, including the use of seat belts and lane-keeping assist systems.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on March 31, 2026, and was updated on April 17, 2026, for updates from the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation.
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