Two Milligan University students died and seven others were injured when a driver crashed into a cycling team during a training ride Wednesday morning on Highway 19E in Hampton, Tennessee. The Milligan University sophomores, identified as Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers, were among 11 cyclists when they were allegedly struck by 69-year-old John Benfield of Newland, North Carolina, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Engdahl and Rogers were pronounced dead at the scene, which was located approximately 11 miles from the university's campus. Seven injured cyclists were transported to Johnson City Medical Center. As of Wednesday evening, four victims were in critical condition in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, two were in stable condition, and one cyclist was evaluated and released.
Officials have not publicly identified the injured athletes. Milligan University issued a statement expressing profound shock and sadness over the loss and extended prayers to all affected by the tragedy.
Benfield faces charges of two counts of vehicular homicide by recklessness and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle by recklessness, according to Steven Finney, District Attorney General for the Tennessee First Judicial District. Finney did not disclose details regarding the crash, including whether Benfield was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues. Benfield is currently being held at Carter County jail.
Finney stated that the cyclists were an experienced group engaged in a routine training session and that the crash was not their fault. "This is an elite cycling team. It’s not a bunch of club guys getting together to ride. They know what they’re doing," he said.
Engdahl, a native of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, and Rogers, from Huntsville, Alabama, were mourned by USA Cycling as "two student-athletes whose lives were taken far too soon." Engdahl had recently recovered from a broken femur sustained in a March training crash. He was remembered at his former school, Christian Life School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, for his "warm character, infectious smile, and magnetic personality."
This incident follows a similar tragedy for Milligan University when sophomore runner Eli Cramer was killed by a drunk driver on March 31, 2022, while on a pre-track meet run with teammates in Lightfoot, Virginia. The driver, Jose Efrain Hernandez Mancia, pleaded guilty to DUI involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years in prison in April 2023.
