CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) continues to investigate a March 27 crash involving a Kenwood Middle School bus and a Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) dump truck that killed two students.
Those two students were Arianna Pearson and Zoe Davis.
"In a split second, a happy bus ride can turn into a tragedy," Kenwood student Lani Lugo said.
"My car dash cam captured the video, and it’s clearly on there that the bus went over the two yellow lines," Xaviel Lugo, Lani's father, told NewsChannel 5 in an interview the day after the crash.
To help illuminate what may have happened, NewsChannel 5 requested the personnel file for the bus driver, Sabrina Ducksworth, from the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System.
Reading through all 89 pages of records, we found the March 27 crash was Ducksworth's first since she was hired by the district in 2021. The files show Ducksworth had no prior disciplinary actions or complaints from parents or students.
She received all 'satisfactory' or 'very satisfactory' job performance reviews, along with complimentary comments from supervisors—with two exceptions.
In her six-month review in 2022, a supervisor wrote, "Always remember when operating your bus to scan your mirror before and after each turn."
Another comment came in her January 2024 annual review under 'needing improvement,' which said, "Keep an eye on your attendance."
"Attendance was due to unforeseen medical issues," Ducksworth replied.
Under Tennessee law, school bus drivers must be medically evaluated yearly. All of Ducksworth's medical exams came back as meeting standards but requiring periodic monitoring.
Her most recent exam in February included an additional note that said "BP Med."
We asked Clarksville-Montgomery County School System spokesperson Anthony Johnson if "BP Med" meant blood pressure medication. Johnson could not confirm that but said Ducksworth met all federal medical standards for school bus drivers.
NewsChannel 5 reporter Amanda Roberts also requested maintenance records for the bus involved. The district was not prepared to send those records today but said it is working on the request.
While most mid-state school buses are equipped with cameras, the district is unable to release the on-board video because everything related to the bus is currently in the custody of THP.
We will continue to follow this story, and share more details as we learn more.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email us at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com and Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com.
Austin Pollack brings us an update on a remarkable young man facing great odds, and his family has one simple request: pray for Cole. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you'll join me in lifting up Cole and his family.
- Carrie Sharp
