HEBRON, Ohio – Three people have lost their lives and 15 others have been injured in a tragic “mass casualty incident” involving a charter bus and a semi-truck on Interstate 70 in Licking County. The incident occurred near the State Route 310 interchange, prompting a large response from emergency personnel in the area.

Dozens of emergency personnel from across Licking County and eastern Franklin County were dispatched to the crash site on Tuesday morning, following reports of a collision. It was reported that a tractor-trailer collided with a commercial bus carrying numerous passengers, with photographs from the scene indicating involvement of at least one other passenger vehicle.

Smoke was seen coming from the crash site, as Ohio Department of Transportation cameras captured the aftermath of the incident. Patients have been transported to multiple hospitals in the area, including Licking Memorial Hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, OhioHealth Pickerington Methodist hospital, and Mount Carmel East hospital. The conditions of the injured individuals were not immediately known.

The bus involved in the crash is reportedly from Pioneer Trails, a family-owned bus business based in Millersburg, Holmes County. The incident has been classified as a “mass casualty incident, level 3,” indicating a significant need for medical response and hospital readiness. The highway remains closed in both directions as authorities continue to assess the situation.

As the investigation into the crash continues, details regarding the cause of the incident and the exact number of vehicles involved have not been immediately released. The community is left grappling with the devastating impact of the incident, as families and authorities await more information about the victims and the circumstances surrounding the collision.