Auburn school bus driver indicted, arrested in fatal 2025 crash
UPDATE 2: McCloud’s family is now publicly disputing the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash and says she suffered a medical emergency while driving.
According to her family, McCloud’s blood sugar dropped to 23 mg/dL on Nov. 18, 2025, causing confusion and loss of consciousness. The family says doctors determined she was experiencing a medical crisis and that she had never experienced a low blood sugar episode before.
McCloud’s family says she turned herself in on Sept. 4 and is now seeking financial assistance to hire a criminal defense attorney, obtain medical records, consult with specialists and defend against the charges. The GoFundMe for legal fees can be found here: https://gofund.me/d8e24656b
These statements are being made by McCloud’s family and are not an independent confirmation of what caused the crash. Auburn police have not publicly released specific details regarding the evidence supporting the criminal charges.
We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
UPDATE 1: While Auburn police have not released specific details about what led to the indictment, a civil lawsuit filed by Jennifer Leigh Cooper’s husband provides additional allegations about the circumstances surrounding the crash.
According to the lawsuit, the bus driver had previously experienced diabetic episodes and had been prescribed opiates shortly before the crash. The lawsuit alleges she told Auburn City Schools supervisors that she did not feel well enough to work that day, but was still instructed to pick up elementary school students.
The lawsuit further alleges that she lost control of the bus shortly after 8 a.m. and that her medical conditions and/or use of opiates may have impaired her ability to drive.
It is important to note that these are allegations contained in a civil lawsuit and have not been independently confirmed by Auburn police. APD has not publicly identified what specific evidence led to the criminal charges against McCloud.
The Auburn Police Department has announced an update in the investigation into a fatal traffic crash involving a school bus and a passenger vehicle that occurred in November 2025.
Theresa McCloud, 75, the driver of the school bus involved in the crash, was indicted by a Lee County Grand Jury on charges of homicide by vehicle and criminally negligent homicide, according to Auburn police.
McCloud was arrested on the indictments Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, and transported to the Lee County Jail. She is being held on a $12,000 bond.
The charges stem from a Nov. 18, 2025, crash near the 1000 block of East University Drive in Auburn involving a school bus and a passenger vehicle.
The Auburn Police Department Traffic Homicide Unit investigated the crash.
According to police, first responders from the Auburn Police Department, Auburn Fire Department and emergency medical services responded to the scene. The driver of the passenger vehicle, identified by the Lee County Coroner’s Office as 42-year-old Jennifer Cooper, was fatally injured and pronounced deceased at the scene.
No additional injuries were reported, and Auburn City Schools previously said all students aboard the school bus were safely transported to school and their families were contacted.
Cooper was the owner of GiGi’s Cupcakes locations in Opelika, Alabama, and Columbus, Georgia, a mother of two and a former science teacher.
The Auburn Police Department said the Traffic Homicide Unit reviewed evidence and available data as part of the investigation that led to the indictments.
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