CARTER COUNTY, TN — Two students on Milligan University’s cycling team were killed Wednesday morning when a vehicle struck a group of bicyclists in Carter County, Tennessee, school officials and state authorities said.
The private Christian university in Elizabethton identified the students as sophomores Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers. Officials said multiple other cyclists were seriously injured and taken for treatment after the crash in the Hampton area.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said the collision involved a car and a group of bicyclists on a highway in the northeastern part of the state. Emergency crews called in multiple medical helicopters as they responded to the scene.
Crash on highway in Hampton triggers large air response
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said preliminary information shows the crash happened Wednesday morning on a highway in Carter County. Hampton is a small town near the North Carolina border and part of the region where Milligan University is based.
Authorities said the crash involved a car and a group of bicyclists. The agency did not immediately release details about how the collision happened or what led up to it.
Multiple medical helicopters responded to transport people to area hospitals. State officials did not say how many people were hurt or describe the severity of every injury, beyond noting that two people died.
Milligan University names the students who died
Milligan University confirmed that the cyclists were members of its team and said the two students who died were Engdahl and Rogers, both sophomores.
In a statement, the university said it was “profoundly shocked and saddened” by the accident and described the loss as one with “no words” to fully capture. School officials said they were praying for everyone affected.
The university’s statement placed the team in Hampton, Tennessee, when the crash occurred. It did not provide any additional details about the riders or the circumstances of the collision.
Other cyclists taken to Johnson City Medical Center
Milligan University said multiple cyclists were seriously injured and were being treated at Johnson City Medical Center. Ballad Health, which operates the hospital, said at least one person was transported there by air.
The hospital system said it was deeply saddened by the incident and offered condolences to the victims, their families and others affected. Johnson City Medical Center is one of the main trauma and referral hospitals serving the region.
Officials did not publicly identify the injured cyclists or specify how many were sent to the hospital. The extent of the injuries had not been released.
Tennessee Highway Patrol says preliminary information is limited
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said its information remained preliminary. That means investigators were still piecing together what happened and had not yet shared a final account of the crash.
State authorities did not say whether the driver remained at the scene or whether any charges were being considered. They also did not release the names of the people involved beyond the university’s identification of the two students who died.
For now, officials have confirmed only the basic facts: a car and a group of bicyclists collided in Carter County, two students were killed, and several others were hurt badly enough to need hospital care.
University cycling team faces devastating loss
The crash has left Milligan University’s cycling program dealing with the death of two of its members and the hospitalization of others. The school is a private Christian institution in Elizabethton, and the team is part of its student athletics community.
Ballad Health said it was saddened by what it called a tragic incident involving Milligan University cyclists struck by a vehicle in the Hampton area. The hospital system echoed the university’s condolences and said it was praying for everyone affected.
As the response continued Wednesday, officials focused on transport, treatment and the immediate needs of those injured. The investigation into how the crash unfolded remained in its early stages.