Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers Obituary: Milligan University Cyclists Killed in Hampton Crash, Driver Charged

HAMPTON, Tenn. — A Wednesday morning training ride for the Milligan University cycling team ended in tragedy on U.S. Highway 19E, leaving sophomores Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers dead, seven other student cyclists injured and a North Carolina driver facing criminal charges.

The collision occurred near Simerly Creek Road in Hampton, Tennessee. What began as another training session quickly became a major emergency, drawing law enforcement, ambulances and multiple medical helicopters to the highway.

For Milligan University, the crash has created two simultaneous realities: mourning two students who will not return to campus and supporting teammates now recovering from injuries.

Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers Identified as Victims

Milligan University confirmed that Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers, both sophomores and members of its cycling program, were the two students killed.

Their deaths have shaken a team built around long hours spent riding, training and competing together.

Those relationships can extend well beyond races. Teammates share difficult climbs, early practices, travel and the constant preparation required for competitive cycling.

Now, the same students and coaches who trained beside Haylan and Brayden are being forced to process their deaths.

The loss has also reached classrooms, residence halls and other parts of the Milligan community as fellow students, faculty and staff mourn alongside the cycling program.

Seven Milligan Cyclists Taken to Hospital

The scale of the tragedy extended beyond the two fatalities.

According to the information provided, seven injured cyclists were transported to Johnson City Medical Center.

Four were reported to be in critical condition, two were listed as stable and another student was evaluated before being released.

The number and severity of injuries prompted a substantial emergency response, including multiple medical helicopters.

For teammates and families, attention is therefore divided between grieving Haylan and Brayden and hoping for the recovery of the students who survived.

John Benfield Charged After U.S. Highway 19E Crash

Authorities identified the driver as 69-year-old John Benfield of Newland, North Carolina.

Carter County District Attorney General Steven Finney said Benfield faces two counts of vehicular homicide by recklessness and five counts of aggravated assault by vehicle by recklessness.

He was taken into custody and booked at the Carter County Detention Center.

The charges represent allegations. Benfield is presumed innocent unless and until guilt is established through the court process.

The filing of charges is an important development, but it does not provide the complete story of how the collision happened.

What Caused the Milligan University Cycling Team Crash?

That question remains at the center of the investigation.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is investigating the collision and, based on the information available, authorities have not yet released a complete reconstruction explaining how the vehicle came into contact with the group of cyclists.

Investigators will need to establish the sequence of events on U.S. Highway 19E and examine evidence connected to the crash.

Those findings could become particularly important as the criminal case proceeds.

Any explanation beyond what investigators and prosecutors have officially established should therefore be treated cautiously.

A Training Ride That Changed the Team

Competitive cyclists understand that training miles are necessary long before race day arrives.

Wednesday morning was supposed to be part of that routine for the Milligan students.

Instead, a stretch of U.S. Highway 19E near Simerly Creek Road became the scene of a collision that changed the cycling program within moments.

Two teammates were gone.

Others were being flown or transported for medical treatment.

And students who survived were left confronting an experience that will likely remain part of the team’s history long after the physical scene on the highway is cleared.

Milligan University Community Faces Difficult Days Ahead

Support has reportedly been made available to people affected by the tragedy, including members of the campus community.

That support could prove especially important because the impact extends in several directions at once.

Haylan and Brayden’s families are grieving their deaths. Injured cyclists and their families are facing uncertain recoveries. Teammates have lost friends, while coaches and classmates are processing a tragedy involving young people with whom they regularly shared their lives.

The legal investigation will continue separately from that grief.

Whatever investigators ultimately determine about the collision, Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers were students and teammates before they became the names associated with a fatal crash.

For Milligan University, that is how their loss will be felt most deeply.

Condolences go to the Engdahl and Rogers families, their teammates and friends, as well as the injured cyclists and everyone affected by the Hampton tragedy.

Disclaimer

This report is based on the information available regarding the fatal collision involving the Milligan University cycling team on U.S. Highway 19E in Hampton, Tennessee. Criminal charges against John Benfield are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. The investigation remains ongoing, and details concerning the cause of the collision, the condition of injured cyclists and any subsequent charges or court proceedings may change as authorities release additional information.