HUNTSVILLE, Tenn. – Five people died in a fiery car crash, including four high school cheerleaders who had hours earlier been cheering on their football team.
A sport utility vehicle carrying the cheerleaders collided with an oncoming car late Friday night on a wet, foggy highway in Scott County, northwest of Knoxville, authorities said. A passenger in the car also was killed.
Investigators believe the crash was caused in part by the slick and foggy conditions, and a preliminary report indicated none of the girls in the SUV was wearing a seat belt, said Laura McPherson, a spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
The car's driver and a 10-month-old child, Aiden Wilson, also were injured and taken to a hospital. A passenger in the car lost her unborn child from injuries in the crash.
Investigators believe the SUV hydroplaned on a curve on the two-lane highway, flipped on its side and crossed the center lane, slamming into the oncoming car. The SUV erupted into flames.
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