The National Transportation Safety Board said that, due to the government shutdown, it is not sending anyone to East Tennessee to investigate a bus crash that left eight people dead and 14 more injured.
Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Roy Herron said, "Republicans in Congress should end their self-inflicted shutdown and return federal crash investigators to work.
"Republicans in Congress are denying the eight killed and 14 injured the federal investigation that they and their families deserve into one of Tennessee's deadliest crashes.
The Republican obstruction of this investigation dishonors the dead and puts at risk the living. The government shutdown should immediately stop and the investigation should immediately begin."
Meanwhile, the Tennessee Highway Patrol has identified and made next of kin notification on a majority of the individuals involved in Wednesday’s crash on Interstate 40 westbound near mile marker 423 in Jefferson County.
Mose Farmer, 66, of New Orleans, La., was the tractor trailer driver killed in the crash. At the time of the crash, he was operating a 2014 Volvo Tractor Trailer loaded with paper towels for B.A.H. Express out of Calhoun, Ga.
The other deceased and injured individuals are listed below.
Church Bus Fatalities
Cloyce Matheny (M), 95, Statesville, N.C.
Brenda Smith, 69, Statesville, N.C.
Marsha Mclelland, 62, Statesville, N.C. (wife of injured Ed Mclelland)
Barbara Morrison, 66, Statesville, N.C. (wife of Randy Morrison)
Randy Morrison (Driver), 66, Statesville, N.C. (husband of Barbara Morrison)
John Wright, 73, Mocksville, N.C.
Church Bus Injuries
Thomas L. Smith, 74, Statesville, N.C.
Joanna L. Elledge, 70, Statesville, N.C.
Benny Elledge, 72, Statesville, N.C.
Sandra Boyer, 67, Statesville, N.C.
Marvin Boyer, 74, Statesville, N.C.
Doris Swaim, 68, Statesville, N.C.
Steven Swaim, 68, Statesville, N.C.
Norma J. Hellard, 78, Statesville, N.C.
Beverly Wright, 62, Mocksville, N.C.
Brenda Jolly, 70, Statesville, N.C.
Wanda Martin, 63, Statesville, N.C.
Ed Mclelland, 64, Statesville, N.C. (husband of deceased Marsha Mclelland)
Chevrolet Tahoe Fatality
Trent Roberts (rear passenger), 24, Knoxville
Chevrolet Tahoe Injuries
Tim Wacker (front passenger), 28, Knoxville
Jordan D. Payne (M) (Driver), 24, Knoxville
The incident remains under investigation.