A wrong-way crash claimed the life of a Tennessee school bus driver early Monday morning, the State Highway Patrol said.
A 2005 Chevy Silverado driven by an 18-year-old man slammed into the school bus on Highway 70 North at Willow Road in Hawkins County at around 7:30 a.m.
The impact killed the 55-year-old bus driver Aleita Gladson, who was wearing a seatbelt, and left two students with “minor injuries.”
The teen driver of the Chevy was also hospitalized and charges against him are pending. Investigators believe he was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.
Hawkins County School District director Matt Hixson described the victim as a “longtime and valued” team member who worked as a bus driver and assistant at the transportation department.
“Our prayers go out to her family, and we would ask that all those within our Hawkins County community keep Aleita’s family in your prayers as well,” he added.
