Two university cyclists killed and more injured after tragic accident in Tennessee
Milligan University is mourning two students after a vehicle struck its cycling team during a training ride in Carter County
What began as a regular training session for Milligan University's cycling team ended with two students dead and seven others injured after a vehicle collided with the group in northeastern Tennessee .
The crash happened Wednesday morning in the Hampton area of Carter County, roughly 11 miles from Milligan's campus. Eleven student cyclists were riding together when they were struck on the highway, according to university and state officials.
Milligan later identified the two students who died as sophomores Haylan Engdahl , from Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, and Brayden Rogers , from Huntsville, Alabama . Their deaths have left the university community and the wider collegiate cycling world facing a devastating loss.
Seven other members of the group were taken to Johnson City Medical Center. Four were reported to be in critical condition, two were stable and another had been discharged from the hospital.
Emergency responders were sent to the scene after the collision, with medical helicopters involved in transporting some of the injured riders. The extent of the destruction underscored the severity of the crash, with witnesses describing bicycles left badly damaged at the scene.
The driver involved was identified as 69-year-old John Benfield of Newland, North Carolina. Carter County District Attorney General Steven Finney said Benfield faces two counts of vehicular homicide by recklessness and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle by recklessness. Authorities have indicated that additional charges could still be considered.
Authorities are still working to establish what happened
Investigators have not yet provided a complete explanation of the circumstances that led to the collision.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol is examining the crash and gathering evidence, while officials have emphasized the importance of establishing the facts before reaching conclusions.
The road involved has a posted speed limit of 50 mph. Investigators are expected to consider witness accounts and other evidence as they reconstruct the sequence of events.
Tennessee Highway Patrol Major Roy Brown acknowledged that the families and university community are looking for answers, but stressed that investigators need to complete their work before those answers can be provided.
The loss is particularly painful because Milligan's cyclists compete at a high level rather than simply riding recreationally. Earlier this year, the university's men's cycling team won the team time trial national championship at the USA Cycling Collegiate Road Nationals in Wisconsin.
That achievement now stands in stark contrast to the circumstances confronting the program.
Milligan President Stephen Waers has called on students and staff to support one another as the university deals with the deaths and the serious injuries. Counseling and pastoral support have also been made available.
The crash has inevitably renewed wider discussion about cyclist safety. Training rides require athletes to use public roads alongside motor vehicles, leaving even experienced groups vulnerable to collisions.
For Milligan, however, the immediate concern is much closer to home: two young students have lost their lives, several teammates remain hospitalized, and their friends, families and coaches are trying to comprehend what happened.
As the investigation continues, authorities have yet to establish publicly all of the factors behind the collision. What is already clear is that the Milligan cycling community has suffered an extraordinary loss, with the futures of two young athletes cut tragically short.
