North Carolina Man Charged with Homicide and Assault After Deadly Crash Involving Milligan University Cycling Group in East Tennessee
A North Carolina man, 69-year-old John Benfield, has been charged with two counts of vehicle homicide by recklessness and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle following a deadly crash in Hampton, Tennessee. The incident, which occurred on State Route 37/Highway 19E at Simerly Creek Road, involved a car and a group of nine bicyclists from Milligan University. Two sophomores from the university, Haylan Engdahl of Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, and Brayden Rogers of Huntsville, Alabama, were killed. Four other cyclists are in critical condition, and three received care. The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) is investigating the crash, which happened around 9:30 a.m. and shut down the roadway for several hours. Ballad Health confirmed the involvement of Milligan University cyclists and stated their teams were prepared to respond to the tragedy. 
