Two members of a college cycling team were killed and at least seven others were injured on Wednesday when they were struck by a driver in northeast Tennessee, officials said.
The crash happened around 8 a.m. when the driver of a passenger car struck members of the Milligan University cycling team on Highway 19 near Simerly Creek Road in Carter County, Tenn., officials said.
Milligan University, a Christian school in Milligan, Tenn., near Johnson City, said that two sophomores, Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers, had been killed. Nine others were taken to Johnson City Medical Center, the university said. Seven were still being treated there on Wednesday afternoon, it said; two others had been released.
In an emotional video message, Stephen Waers, the president of Millington University, asked for prayers from the campus community and said that pastors and counselors would be available to assist grieving students.
“We need to be gathered together, gathered together around Jesus, and we need to help our brothers and sisters bear burdens that are too great for any one person to carry alone,” he said.
Eleven Millington University cyclists were traveling together on a training ride when the crash occurred, Mr. Waers said. Officials did not immediately provide information on the conditions of those who were taken to the hospital.
Jason Pack, a spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, said the driver was also taken to a hospital. He said that it was not clear what had caused the crash and that the investigation was in the early stages. No charges had been filed, he said.
The speed limit on that part of the road is 50 miles per hour, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Ballad Health, which operates the Johnson City Medical Center, said in a statement that at least one person had been flown there for treatment. “Our prayers are with the victims, their families and everyone affected by this devastating event.”
Milligan University, which has about 1,200 students, is about 11 miles from the scene of the crash.
In May, the university announced that its cycling team had won the men’s team time trial national championship at the U.S.A. Cycling Collegiate Road Nationals in Madison, Wis.
