Overview
- A vehicle struck an 11-member Milligan University cycling team during a morning training ride, and two sophomores, Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers, were killed while seven teammates were injured and taken to the hospital on Wednesday.
- The driver, John Benfield, 69, of Newland, North Carolina, is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide by recklessness and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle by recklessness and is being held on increased bond with court-ordered conditions.
- Court affidavits and a trooper’s report say investigators found no physical evidence that the driver braked or took evasive action and that officers detected the odor of marijuana in his vehicle, but toxicology and final reconstruction results are still pending.
- Johnson City Medical Center received the injured riders, with hospital officials reporting multiple patients in critical condition, some requiring surgery, while others were stable or released after treatment.
- Milligan and the wider cycling community have mourned the loss, officials warn additional charges are possible as the Tennessee Highway Patrol completes its investigation, and the crash has renewed questions about cyclist safety on rural highways.