COLUMBUS, Ohio — Thursday marks one year since three students and three adults died in a devastating charter bus crash on Interstate 70 in Licking County. More than a dozen people suffered injuries.
The crash happened on the morning of Nov. 14 on I-70 near the Smoke Road underpass, about 26 miles east of Columbus.
Five vehicles were involved in the crash, including a Pioneer Trails charter bus carrying students and chaperones from the Tuscarawas Valley Local School District. Two semitrailers and two passenger vehicles were also involved.
Three passengers on the bus, which was carrying dozens of students and chaperones, were pronounced dead at the scene. They were identified as 18-year-old John Mosley, 18-year-old Jeffrey Worrell and 15-year-old Katelyn Owens.
All three people in one of the passenger vehicles involved were also pronounced dead at the scene. They were identified as 56-year-old Dave Kennat, 39-year-old Kristy Gaynor and 45-year-old Shannon Wigfield.
Who were the victims?
Katelyn Owens
Katelyn was a sophomore at Tuscarawas Valley High School and played clarinet in the school's marching band. She was described as "the sweetest person I know."
Jeffery "J.D." Worrell
Jeffery was a senior at Tuscarawas Valley High School and played bass drum in the school's marching band. He was a member of the TVHS marching and concert bands, select choir, drama club, speech and debate team and pep club. After graduation, he wanted to major in psychology and vocal music or find a job doing voiceovers or voice acting. His sister described him as "the most amazing, outgoing, and kind person."
John "Wyatt" Mosley
Wyatt was a senior at Tuscarawas Valley High School and played snare drum in the school's marching band. He was a member of the TVHS marching band, select choir, drama club and track team. After graduation, he planned to take a gap year to pursue a career in acting, then go to college for computer programming
Dave Kennat
Dave, of Parma and a graduate of Ohio University, taught math to grades 9-12 at Tuscarawas Valley High School. He was known to the community as "the voice" of the Tusky Valley band, as he would introduce the band for their football halftime shows. According to a friend of his, Dave was the kind of guy who would help and was always willing to lend a hand.
Shannon Wigfield
Shannon was an English Language Arts instructor at the Buckeye Career Center for 24 years. In a Facebook post, the Buckeye Career Center said she was "adored by her co-workers and students and will be remembered for her loving smile and always positive attitude."
“It certainly was something that you could tell she enjoyed and that was apparent in how she interacted with students and certainly how she carried herself day to day that you could see she was very happy she was in her element. She was where she wanted to be," said Bob Alsept, superintendent of Buckeye Career Center.
Kristy Gaynor
Kristy was a parent and chaperone on the band trip and was a mother of three.
How did the crash happen?
According to reports from the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the National Transportation Safety Board, traffic was slowing down for a crash. A Freightliner semi did not slow down and crashed into the back of a Nissan Murano. Kennat, Gaynor and Wigfield were in the Nissan. The Freightliner then collided with the back of the charter bus, carrying 57 people. Mosley, Worrel and Owens were on the bus.
Criminal charges
The driver of the Freightliner, 61-year-old Jacob McDonald, was indicted on 26 charges by a Licking County grand jury in July. The charges include six counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, nine counts of vehicular assault and 11 counts of assault.
McDonald is being held on a $1 million bond.
A jury trial is scheduled for Dec. 2, according to Licking County Common Pleas court.
