Local News
Zoe Davis Identified as Second Student Killed in Crash Involving Kenwood Middle School bus
CARROLL COUNTY, Tenn. — Authorities have identified Zoe Davis as the second student killed in the devastating school bus crash involving Kenwood Middle School, a tragedy that has left families, classmates, and the broader community grieving an immeasurable loss.
Friends and loved ones described Davis as a one-of-a-kind individual—intelligent, deeply compassionate, and known for her humor and vibrant personality.
Those closest to her say her loss is profoundly difficult to comprehend, as she leaves behind a lasting impact on everyone who knew her.
She is among two students who died in the crash, alongside Arianna Pearson, who has also been remembered as a bright and positive presence in the lives of her peers and family.
The collision occurred around noon on March 27 along Highway 70 in Carroll County, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Officials reported that the crash involved a school bus transporting students from Kenwood Middle School, a dump truck operated by the Tennessee Department of Transportation, and a separate passenger vehicle.
At the time of the crash, the bus was carrying students and staff from the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System who were traveling to a GreenpowerUSA event in Jackson.
In total, five adults and more than 20 students were on board.
In addition to the two fatalities, several other passengers sustained injuries ranging from minor to serious.
Emergency response efforts were extensive, with multiple agencies—including the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office—responding to the scene.
Due to the severity of the incident, nine medical helicopters were deployed to transport victims to trauma centers in Nashville and Memphis.
According to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Carroll County, 19 individuals were evaluated and later released, while four pediatric patients were transported to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, where they are reported to be in stable condition.
The cause of the crash remains under active investigation as authorities work to determine the sequence of events that led to the collision.
In a statement, the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System expressed profound sorrow, calling the loss heartbreaking and extending support to the families affected.
Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden also offered condolences, describing the tragedy as an “unimaginable loss” that has deeply shaken the community.
The incident has renewed discussions around school transportation safety, including calls for expanded use of seatbelts on school buses to better protect students in the event of a crash.
Local News
Jimmy Brooks Killed in Wrong-Way Tesla Crash on I-26 in Buncombe County, Driver Bradley Vance Charged
BUNCOMBE COUNTY, N.C. — Jimmy Lee Brooks, 42, of Leicester, North Carolina, died after a wrong-way Tesla crash involving three vehicles on Interstate 26 near Asheville on Thursday afternoon, October 22, 2026.
Several other people were injured in the collision, and the Tesla driver has been charged in connection with the fatal crash.
According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Bradley Vance Lanier, 54, of Taylors, South Carolina, was driving a Tesla westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-26 near Exit 37 when the vehicle struck a Honda SUV head-on before colliding with a Honda passenger car.
Brooks was a passenger in the Honda passenger car. He was transported to Mission Hospital in Asheville, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol said troopers responded to the crash at approximately 2:30 p.m. Thursday near mile marker 37 on eastbound I-26.
According to the agency’s statement, the Tesla entered the interstate traveling west in the eastbound lanes near Exit 37, also associated with Long Shoals Road. The vehicle first struck a Honda SUV head-on and then collided with a Honda passenger car.
A trooper from a neighboring county arrived shortly after the collision and began providing assistance to a passenger inside the Honda passenger car.
The car’s driver and two passengers were transported to Mission Hospital with serious injuries. Brooks was among the passengers and later died at the hospital. Authorities said the conditions of the other occupants were not immediately known.
The driver of the Honda SUV was also taken to Mission Hospital with minor injuries and was later released.
Lanier, the driver of the Tesla, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Mission Hospital before being released, according to the Highway Patrol.
Troopers subsequently charged him with four offenses:
- Driving while impaired (DWI)
- Felony death by vehicle
- Felony serious injury
- Reckless driving
Following his release from the hospital, Lanier was taken to the Buncombe County Detention Facility, where he was being held on a $5 million secured bond, according to the agency’s statement.
The charges are allegations, and the case will proceed through the court system. The official statement does not establish a conviction.
Interstate 26 was closed for approximately two hours while troopers investigated the collision and documented the scene.
The investigation centers on the circumstances that led the Tesla to travel in the wrong direction on the eastbound side of the interstate and the subsequent collisions involving the two Honda vehicles.
Authorities have not released the current medical conditions of all the injured occupants.
The fatal crash claimed the life of Brooks, a Leicester resident, and left several other people requiring hospital treatment.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is investigating the collision. Further information about the case may be released as the investigation and legal proceedings continue.