Mt. Zion bus crash kills teenager, injures dozens

ATLANTA – A bus from Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Huntsville crashed on Camp Creek Parkway near Atlanta on June 8.

One teenager was killed and 24 passengers, mainly teenagers, were transported to several hospitals in Fulton County and metro Atlanta. At noon on June 9, nine people were still hospitalized, and the bus driver was confined to ICU.

The bus carried 39 people en route to the Atlanta airport to fly to Botswana for a mission trip, which the church now has canceled.

Fulton County police said the bus driver changed lanes but did not see a car already occupying that roadway space. According to police reports, the bus flipped and collided head-on with a Mercedes Benz vehicle. National Transportation Safety Board will not investigate the crash.

Sarah Harmening, 17, was killed in the crash.

A spokesperson at Mt. Zion Baptist has asked for food donations from local residents. The church’s address is 228 Mt. Zion Road, Huntsville 35806; this location is north of the Jeff Road/University Drive intersection. For information, call 256-837-2665 or visit mzbc.net.