The bus was carrying Kenwood Middle School students to a grand prix event in Jackson when the March crash occurred.
CARROLL COUNTY, TN - October 26, 2026
Sabrina Ducksworth, the driver of a Clarksville-Montgomery County School System bus, appeared in a Carroll County courtroom to face two grand jury indictments tied to a March 27, 2026 crash on Highway 70. Two students died in the collision, and numerous other people, including the driver, were hurt.
Key Facts
- Date: March 27, 2026 (crash); October 26, 2026 (court appearance)
- Location: Highway 70, Carroll County, Tennessee
- Type of crash: Head-on collision after the bus crossed into oncoming traffic
- Vehicles involved: School bus operated by the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, a dump truck, and an SUV
- Injuries / fatalities: Two students killed; numerous others injured, including the driver, other students and four teachers
- Responding agencies: Tennessee Highway Patrol (crash report); National Transportation Safety Board
- Reported by: Action News 5; WSMV
Crash Overview
On March 27, 2026, the school bus was carrying 24 students from Kenwood Middle School and four adults. They were traveling to Jackson for a grand prix event organized by GreenPowerUSA, for which the students had built their own car. Sources report that the bus entered oncoming traffic on Highway 70 and collided with a dump truck and an SUV. Students Zoe Davis and Arianna Pearson died at the scene. Sources have not reported why the bus entered the opposite lane.
The driver and other students and staff were taken to hospitals for treatment. Parents following the bus said they saw it swerve in and out of its lane several times during the trip. In the days after the crash, the driver's family said they believed she had suffered a stroke.
On October 26, Ducksworth told the court she could not afford to hire her own lawyer, so the judge appointed a public defender. The defender entered a "not guilty" plea on her behalf. She is scheduled to return to court on November 16, unless an agreement is reached before then.