Supporters of an Alabama woman charged after a fatal school bus crash say she was suffering a medical emergency when the collision occurred.
Theresa McCloud, 75, has been charged with vehicular homicide and criminal negligence in connection with the Nov. 18, 2025, crash in Auburn.
McCloud was behind the wheel of a bus for Auburn City Schools when it collided with another vehicle. Jennifer Leigh Cooper, a 42-year-old bakery owner widely known in the community, was killed in the crash, according to AL.com.
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Those backing McCloud have said a sudden medical crisis led to the deadly Auburn school bus crash. But a lawsuit filed by Cooper’s husband against McCloud and the Auburn City Schools Board of Education claims McCloud had diabetes and had also been prescribed opiates.
According to the lawsuit, McCloud told supervisors on the day of the crash that she did not feel well. The suit also says she had seen a doctor two days earlier and was prescribed opiates for her symptoms. The medication allegedly carried a warning label advising patients not to drive while taking it.
“Theresa’s blood sugar suddenly dropped to 23 mg/dL while driving, causing confusion and loss of consciousness,” a GoFundMe page that has since been taken down stated.
A school bus carries students home in a small Tulare County town in 2023. Supporters of an Alabama school bus driver charged in a woman’s death say she experienced a medical crisis during the fatal crash. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“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.
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.
News Outlet has reached out to the school district.
