Six young girls killed in car crash after they were thrown from flipped vehicle
Six girls were killed after a car hit the shoulder barrier of a busy motorway on Sunday morning.
The car, a Toyota Camry, veered off the road in the US state of Tennessee at about 2am.
The impact caused the vehicle to flip over, ejecting all six girls and a woman as it rolled.
The children were pronounced dead at the scene, while the woman was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition.
A man – who was also in the car – was taken to another hospital with minor injuries.
Officials have not yet released the names of the victims, but Brent Dyer, chief of the county’s emergency management services office, said they range in age from just one-years-old to 18-years-old.
A Robertson County Emergency Medical Services statement read: ‘A total of four Advanced Life Support ambulances responded to this scene and one helicopter/air ambulance. Initial arriving units worked quickly to search for, assess and triage the total nine patients involved.
‘Only one other vehicle was involved. The vehicle was a car that was found upside down with very extensive damage.
‘Another adult male was ambulatory on the scene and reported to responders that he had been in this car. This man was stable with what appeared to be minor injuries at that time.’
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said it would be investigating the cause of the crash, which took place near exit 24 on I-24 West in Robertson County.
Officials said a damaged pickup truck was also recovered at the scene but have not said whether it was involved in the crash.
They confirmed that the vehicle collided with a concrete barrier underneath a bridge and came to rest half a mile down the road from the scene of the crash.
Robertson County Emergency Medical Services said it was ensuring that those who attended the scene were provided with mental health support.
‘Our office recognises the incredible difficulty of this scene. Further coordination to involve professional mental health and counseling services for responders has been established,’ it said.
‘Please keep the families and persons involved in your thoughts and prayers.’
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