2 Tenn. College Students Killed and 7 Injured in Cycling Team Crash as Driver Faces Multiple Charges
2 Tenn. College Students Killed and 7 Injured in Cycling Team Crash as Driver Faces Multiple Charges
Gina KalsiThu, August 20, 2026 at 1:41 PM UTC
24
L-R: Haylan Engdahl; Brayden RogersCredit: Milligan University -
Two Milligan University sophomores were killed and seven others injured after officials said a car struck the school’s cycling team
The 69-year-old driver, John Benfield, faces multiple charges including vehicular homicide by recklessness and aggravated assault by vehicle by recklessness
Milligan University said the community was “profoundly shocked and saddened” by the news
Two Milligan University students have been killed and seven others were injured after a car collided with the school’s cycling team in Tennessee.
On the morning of Wednesday, Aug. 19, the Tennessee Highway Patrol responded to an incident involving a car and a group of cyclists on Highway 19 in Carter County, according to a police Facebook post.
Officials said the driver struck the riders, who were part of the Milligan University cycling team in a press conference posted by News 5 WCYB.
The college identified the students killed as sophomores Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers in a Facebook post, and said the community was “profoundly shocked and saddened” by the news.
The scene of the collisionCredit: WJHL/YouTube
“There are no words to adequately describe this level of loss,” the statement said. “Our prayers are with all those impacted by this tragedy. Please keep the Milligan community in your prayers.”
Another seven of Milligan’s cyclists were injured and received medical attention at the Johnson City Medical Center, per the college post and the police press conference.
Four of those students were in critical condition in the surgical intensive care unit, two were in stable condition and the seventh had been discharged from the hospital, Dr. Bracken Burns, the trauma medical director, said in the conference.
He noted that three of the injured cyclists required operations with the orthopedic trauma team, adding that one student will require further surgery.
Advertisement
Milligan University President Dr. Stephen Waers said 11 members of the cycling team were on a training ride at around 8 a.m. local time when the incident occurred, in a video posted on Facebook.
District Attorney General Steven Finney said in the conference that 69-year-old John Benfield, of Newland, North Carolina, had been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide by recklessness and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle by recklessness.
He said Benfield is in custody and that the investigation is ongoing.
Highway 19 near Simerly Creek Road in Carter County, TennesseeCredit: Google Maps
— sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
USA Cycling, the national governing body for cycling in the U.S., also paid tribute to Engdahl and Rogers in an Instagram post.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of this morning’s tragic crash involving the Milligan University Cycling team,” the statement said. “Our hearts go out to the two student-athletes whose lives were taken far too soon, Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers, as well as to the riders who were injured.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to Haylan and Brayden’s families, their teammates, friends, coaches, and the entire Milligan University community as they navigate this incredibly difficult time,” it added.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for further information.
on People
Source: “AOL Breaking”
