Driver charged after collision kills two Milligan University cyclists, injures seven

Two Milligan University cyclists were killed and seven others injured Wednesday when a vehicle hit the team training on Highway 19 in Carter County, officials said. The victims, sophomores Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers, died at the scene, while the injured were taken to local hospitals, with several remaining in critical condition.

The driver, 69-year-old John Benfield of Newland, North Carolina, has been charged with two counts of vehicular homicide by recklessness and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle by recklessness, according to First Judicial District Attorney General Steven Finney.

University President Stephen Waers asked the community to pray for the families of the deceased, and the Carter County Highway Patrol said the investigation is ongoing and facts may change as witnesses are interviewed.

Ballard Health officials reported that two victims were airlifted to the hospital, six of the injured remained hospitalized Wednesday evening, and four were in the surgical intensive care unit.

"This is an elite cycling team. It’s not a bunch of just club guys getting together to ride. They know what they’re doing," Finney said.

"We know the families and Milligan University deeply want answers, and we want to provide those answers," Highway Patrol Maj. Roy Brown said.

"I was horrified to see numerous crumpled bikes. There was a person on the road injured and another covered in blood being helped," Sam Rogers, a teammate, said.

Benfield was booked after the crash; jail records show he has not been released on bond, and no attorney has been identified at this time.