5 vehicles, including charter bus carrying students, involved in deadly crash on Ohio highway: Governor

(NEW YORK) — Five vehicles — including a charter bus carrying Ohio high school students — were involved in a fatal crash on an Ohio highway Tuesday morning, officials said.

The incident occurred on Interstate 70 in Etna shortly before 9 a.m. local time, according to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.

A Pioneer Trails charter bus transporting students from Tuscarawas Valley School was among the five vehicles involved in the crash, the governor said.

“Let me just say that this is our worst nightmare when we have a bus full of children in a crash,” DeWine said during a press briefing Tuesday.

Gov. DeWine confirmed the crash was fatal but said no other details will be released until all the proper notifications have been made. Eighteen people were transported to seven area hospitals, he said.

Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools superintendent Derek Varansky said students and chaperones were traveling to the Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus when their charter bus was involved in a “very serious accident.”

“We understand from law enforcement that there may be multiple serious injuries and we are working to learn the details,” Varansky said in a message to the school community.

In addition to high school students, parents and teachers were among those on board, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Tuscarawas office.

Pioneer Trails said it is “fully cooperating with the authorities as we work to find the cause of the accident.”

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of those impacted by this accident,” the company said in a statement. “As this is an ongoing investigation, there will be no further comments.”

ABC News’ Alexandra Faul contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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