Image Credit: Google Earth.
Article by Olivia Lupia, Tennessee Conservative News –
After being indicted last month following a head-on collision that left two students dead and several others injured, the former bus driver for a Clarksville middle school had her first appearance in court yesterday and pleaded “Not Guilty” to two charges.
On March 27, Sabrina Ducksworth was driving the Kenwood Middle School bus carrying 24 students and four staff members for a field trip when she drifted over the center line and collided with an oncoming dump truck and SUV in Carroll County, causing the deaths of two students and serious injuries to numerous others.
She was initially charged with vehicular homicide and two traffic charges, failure to exercise due care and driving on roadways laned for traffic, but in late September the Carroll County grand jury only returned indictments for the traffic charges.
On Monday, Ducksworth appeared in a Carroll County courtroom for the first time since the crash where she declared herself “financially unfit” to hire her own representation as she has been unemployed since the crash and was appointed a public defender by the court.
Her attorney then submitted a “not guilty” plea, and she is scheduled to reappear on November 16 unless a settlement is reached before then.
The judge told Ducksworth’s lawyer that the two traffic violations she is charged with, both Class C misdemeanors, would only normally be citations for which she would not even be required to appear had they not been the result of grand jury indictments.
“Many circumstances I’ll say these would be citable offenses by law enforcement and there would never be a court appearance, unless the person failed to pay the fines involved. In this case, it is a little different and we have an indictment by the grand jury that is why she is present today,” Judge Bradberry said.
Family members of the victims cried during the hearing, and two women reportedly burst into tears as Ducksworth left the courtroom, though it was unconfirmed if they were present on behalf of Ducksworth or the students.
Clarksville Montgomery School System (CMCSS) parents have been tangling with the district since the accident, demanding accountability amid allegations that the district failed to properly notify parents of the incident, an apparent unwillingness to financially help injured students, and assertions that Ducksworth was not at fault.
It remains unclear whether Ducksworth suffered a stroke which caused her to swerve out of her lane as CMCSS has claimed.
Sources:
WSMV.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
