2 members of Tennessee college cycling team killed in highway collision

Two members of the Milligan University cycling team were killed, and several more injured, in a collision with a vehicle on a rural highway in eastern Tennessee on Wednesday morning, both state officials and the school confirmed.

In a video message, Milligan University President Dr. Stephen Waers said that 11 cyclists were on a training ride when the crash occurred at about 8 a.m. local time.

In a separate statement, Milligan University, a small Christian college located in Elizabethton, Tennessee, said the crash occurred in the community of Hampton, about 10 miles east of the campus.

In a social media post, the Tennessee State Patrol said it took place on a rural highway.

Waers said that two cyclists were killed and the nine others were hospitalized. Seven are still receiving treatment, while two were treated and released, Waers disclosed.

The school identified the two deceased victims as sophomores Haylan Engdahl and Brayden Rogers. State police reported several patients were airlifted by helicopters to area hospitals.

The number of people in the involved vehicle and their conditions were not immediately disclosed. The circumstances of the crash were unclear. 

A state police source told CBS News that the crash occurred in a mountainous area.