Bus driver who crashed in April pleads guilty to 1 charge

SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, Tenn. (WDEF) — A school bus driver pleaded guilty to one charge from her wreck on Signal Mountain in April.

Margaret Miles pleaded guilty to a charge of “failure to exercise due care,” according to the Hamilton County Criminal Court.

Early one morning, Miles hit a ditch and crashed into a home while students were on board. None of the students were injured.

Investigators said Miles was not wearing a seatbelt, so she bounced out of her chair.

However, authorities dropped the seatbelt violation.

At the time of the incident, Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Justin Robertson made this statement on the incident:

“Earlier today, a contractor-operated school bus carrying students to Signal Mountain Middle/High School was involved in an accident. Most importantly, we are thankful that everyone aboard the bus is safe. We are proud of the students on board the bus for remaining calm and for taking action to call for assistance following the accident.

HCS is fully cooperating with law enforcement on their investigation of this morning’s accident. The driver has been cited for not following proper procedures, and appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken by the school district. Additionally, we will review the incident through a continuous improvement lens to support ongoing growth.

School buses are an essential part of what we do as a school district. Each day, our buses run 250 routes and cover more than 22,000 miles. All of our drivers receive dedicated training on the processes, procedures, and laws of operating a school bus and transporting our students, and they are expected to implement these measures according to our guidance. We will continue to take the steps necessary to ensure our students are transported safely every day.”

See our previous coverage here: