Supporters of Alabama school bus driver charged in deadly accident say she suffered from ‘medical crisis’

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An Alabama woman accused of causing a deadly crash while driving a school bus experienced a medical crisis during the accident, her supporters reportedly said.

Theresa McCloud, 75, faces charges of vehicular homicide and criminal negligence for the Nov. 18, 2025 crash in Auburn.

McCloud was driving a bus for Auburn City Schools when she struck a vehicle. Jennifer Leigh Cooper, 42, a well-known local bakery owner, was killed in the collision, AL.com reported.

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McCloud’s supporters said she suffered a medical crisis during the fatal crash. However, a lawsuit filed by Cooper’s husband against McCloud and the Auburn City Schools Board of Education alleges that McCloud had diabetes and had been prescribed opiates.

On the day of the accident, McCloud told her supervisors that she was not feeling well, the lawsuit states. Two days prior, she had visited a doctor who prescribed opiates to help with her symptoms. Those medications came with a warning label against driving while taking them, according to the suit.

“Theresa’s blood sugar suddenly dropped to 23 mg/dL while driving, causing confusion and loss of consciousness,” stated a GoFundMe page that has since been removed.

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“Theresa had never experienced a low blood sugar episode before, and doctors confirmed that this was a medical crisis,” the page continued. “Even so, Theresa is now facing the overwhelming challenge of defending against charges connected to that emergency. On September 4, 2026, Theresa turned herself in and began facing the legal process head-on.”

While driving, McCloud lost control “based on either her known medical conditions, her use of opiates and/or a mix of both,” the lawsuit alleges.

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The suit further said that the opiates and her diabetes “severely impaired her ability to drive any vehicle and made her unable to perform her duties as a bus driver,” according to the newspaper. McCloud’s family reportedly disputes the allegations.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the school district.

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