A school bus driver and assistant director of transportation for Hawkins County Schools in Tennessee died in a crash last week, the school district confirmed.
Aleita Gladson, 55, a district school bus driver and the assistant director, was traveling along Highway 70 on Feb. 26, when the driver of a Chevrolet Silverado pickup crossed the center line in the area and struck the bus.
Hawkins County School District released a statement on social media confirming Gladson’s death and that two students were on board the bus at the time of the incident. The students were transported to a hospital to receive medical treatment but only sustained minor injuries.
Matt Hixson, director of schools for Hawkins County Schools, said Gladson was a longtime and valued school district team member as a bus driver, a secretary and transportation leader.
Hixson added neither he nor the district would make any additional comments beyond the statement released.
According to local news reports, the driver of the Chevy was an 18-year-old male who was also injured during the crash. The teen’s identity was not disclosed at the time of this writing. However, local reporters wrote that he was driving the wrong way when he struck the school bus.
Charges against the teen motorist are pending while the incident remains under investigation.
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