2 college cyclists killed and 7 injured in Tennessee car crash

HAMPTON, Tenn. (AP) — Two university cycling team members met their untimely demise and seven others sustained injuries when a car struck a group of riders in northeastern Tennessee, state authorities reported on Wednesday. Milligan University, a private Christian institution housing around 1,200 students, revealed that 11 of its cyclists were part of the training ride that took place when the tragic accident occurred.

The collision took place in Hampton, roughly 11 miles from the campus, nestled within the Appalachian Mountains' foothills.

The 69-year-old driver involved in the crash was apprehended in North Carolina and faces two counts of reckless vehicular homicide and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle with recklessness, according to the county's district attorney, Steve Finney. Milligan sophomore cyclists Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers, both from Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, and Huntsville, Alabama respectively, lost their lives in the incident. The remaining student-athletes were transported to Johnson City Medical Center for treatment.

Milligan University's President Stephen Waers issued an emotional video message, urging the student body to support their injured peers and find solace in prayer. As of Wednesday evening, four students were in critical condition, two were stable but still hospitalized, and one had been discharged, reported Dr. Bracken Burns, the trauma medical director at the hospital.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash's circumstances. The speed limit on Highway 19, where the collision took place, is 50 miles per hour.