Supporters of Theresa McCloud, the Alabama school bus driver charged in a fatal November 2025 crash, assert that she experienced a medical crisis at the time of the collision.
McCloud, 75, faces charges of vehicular homicide and criminal negligence in connection with the accident in Auburn that killed Jennifer Leigh Cooper, 42, a local bakery owner. McCloud was driving a bus for Auburn City Schools when the crash occurred.
According to a lawsuit filed by Cooper's husband against McCloud and the Auburn City Schools Board of Education, McCloud had diabetes and had been prescribed opiates. The suit alleges that on the day of the accident, McCloud informed her supervisors she was not feeling well. The lawsuit also states that two days prior to the incident, a doctor prescribed opiates for her symptoms, with the prescription including a warning against driving while taking the medication.
A GoFundMe page, since removed, stated that McCloud's blood sugar "suddenly dropped to 23 mg/dL while driving, causing confusion and loss of consciousness." The page further claimed that doctors confirmed this was a medical crisis and that McCloud had no prior history of such episodes. McCloud turned herself in on September 4, 2026, to face the legal proceedings.
The lawsuit alleges that McCloud lost control of the bus due to "either her known medical conditions, her use of opiates and/or a mix of both." It further contends 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 AL.com. McCloud's family reportedly disputes these allegations.