NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
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.
HEART-STOPPING VIDEO SHOWS MIDDLE SCHOOLERS SAVING THEIR BUS AFTER DRIVER PASSES OUT AT THE WHEEL
Morning light is “crucial to regulate sleep, [boost] alertness and support mental health,” according to a sleep expert. (iStock)
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.
OLDER ADULTS TAKING 5 OR MORE PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FACE HIGHER RISK OF DEATH, STUDY FINDS
A school bus takes students home in the small Tulare County town in 2023. Supporters of an Alabama school bus driver charged in the vehicle death of a woman said she suffered a medical crisis during the deadly accident. (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.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
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.
