(WBIR-Athens)
Fourteen people were sent to hospitals, including eleven young children, after a truck crashed into the back of a church van Thursday morning in Athens.
According to THP, the crash happened just before 9:30 am near the intersection of Highway 30 and McMinn County Road 554.
The van was carrying eleven children, between the ages of 4 and 8, who were attending a day camp hosted by the Zion Hill Baptist Church in Englewood.
Troopers said Zachery Crager, 18, of Decatur, was driving the pickup truck that crashed into the van. Crager said his brakes failed. He was cited for failure to maintain an operating vehicle. Crager was taken to Star Regional Etowah Hospital, then transferred to UT Medical Center in Knoxville.
Gary Culberson, 61, of Etowah, was driving the van. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Etowah. A front seat passenger, Whitney Martin, 27, of Englewood, was flown to UT Medical Center by medical helicopter.
Eleven children on the bus were injured. One of those, Kaiden Boyer, 6, was taken to UT Medical Center for treatment.
Ten other kids were taken to Star Regional Etowah Hospital:
Brayden Martin, 4, from Englewood, TN
Matthew Nichols, 8, from Englewood, TN
Javon Batts, 6, from Etowah, TN
Thomas Underwood, 6, from Etowah, TN
Amos Landerth, 6, from Englewood, TN
Casin Lee, 6, from Reliance, TN
Noah Ownbey, 6, from Etowah, TN
Jesse Holden, 6, from Etowah, TN
Clark Patterson, 6, from Englewood, TN
Aaden Fry, 6, from Athens, TN
Fourteen people were sent to hospitals, including eleven young children, after a truck crashed into the back of a church van Thursday morning in Athens.
According to THP, the crash happened just before 9:30 am near the intersection of Highway 30 and McMinn County Road 554.
The van was carrying eleven children, between the ages of 4 and 8, who were attending a day camp hosted by the Zion Hill Baptist Church in Englewood.
Troopers said Zachery Crager, 18, of Decatur, was driving the pickup truck that crashed into the van. Crager said his brakes failed. He was cited for failure to maintain an operating vehicle. Crager was taken to Star Regional Etowah Hospital, then transferred to UT Medical Center in Knoxville.
Gary Culberson, 61, of Etowah, was driving the van. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Etowah. A front seat passenger, Whitney Martin, 27, of Englewood, was flown to UT Medical Center by medical helicopter.
Eleven children on the bus were injured. One of those, Kaiden Boyer, 6, was taken to UT Medical Center for treatment.
Ten other kids were taken to Star Regional Etowah Hospital:
Brayden Martin, 4, from Englewood, TN
Matthew Nichols, 8, from Englewood, TN
Javon Batts, 6, from Etowah, TN
Thomas Underwood, 6, from Etowah, TN
Amos Landerth, 6, from Englewood, TN
Casin Lee, 6, from Reliance, TN
Noah Ownbey, 6, from Etowah, TN
Jesse Holden, 6, from Etowah, TN
Clark Patterson, 6, from Englewood, TN
Aaden Fry, 6, from Athens, TN