Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 7
Alabama Bus Driver, 75, Faces Homicide Charges in 2025 Fatal Crash as Medical Crisis Is Disputed
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 7

Alabama Bus Driver, 75, Faces Homicide Charges in 2025 Fatal Crash as Medical Crisis Is Disputed

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 7

Summary

  • Theresa McCloud, 75, turned herself in on Sept. 4 to face vehicular homicide and criminal negligence charges over a Nov. 18, 2025 Auburn school-bus crash that killed bakery owner Jennifer Leigh Cooper, 42.
  • Supporters say McCloud suffered a medical emergency, citing a blood sugar drop to 23 mg/dL that allegedly caused confusion and loss of consciousness while she was driving.
  • A lawsuit by Cooper’s husband instead alleges McCloud had diabetes, had been prescribed opiates two days earlier, and was warned not to drive while taking them.
  • The suit says McCloud told supervisors she was not feeling well that day and lost control because of her medical condition, the opiates, or both; her family disputes those claims.

Insights

Did a mix of opiates and diabetes cause a fatal crash, or was a 75-year-old driver the victim of an unforeseen medical crisis?
Why was an unwell driver with erratic behavior allowed to transport children just moments before a beloved local bakery owner was killed?