Parents of Clarksville child killed in bus crash sue district and driver

The parents of a child killed in a fatal bus crash have filed a lawsuit against the bus driver and the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System.

A Montgomery County school bus crashed into a Tennessee Department of Transportation dump truck in Carroll County last Friday. The bus was transporting 25 students from Kenwood Middle School and five adults to Jackson, Tenn., for a field trip.

Zoe Davis was one of two students who died at the scene. Her parents, John and Jessica Davis, allege that the negligence of the bus driver, Sabrina Ducksworth, and the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System caused their child’s death.

“Our hearts are broken and our lives have been shattered by the loss of our daughter, who was bright, funny and one-of-a-kind,” they said in a statement. “We have filed this lawsuit to uncover how this could have happened, and to ensure that no other parents have to endure this unimaginable tragedy.”

According to the complaint, Ducksworth was distracted while operating the school bus when she veered into oncoming traffic and struck a truck head–on. The lawsuit further alleges that she was fatigued, unable to keep the bus under control and failed to use reasonable and due care to avoid causing injury to others.

More than half a dozen students were also critically injured and transported to hospitals in Nashville, Memphis and Jackson after the collision.

Since Ducksworth was a CMCSS employee, the plaintiffs argue that the school district was also negligent and, thus, liable. This negligence includes failure to conduct a proper background check of Ducksworth before hiring her, along with insufficient training and supervision.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys John Morgan and Susan Neal Wiley released the following statement: “Our clients suffered the devastating loss of their daughter in this tragic incident. Families place their trust in school transportation systems to ensure their children’s safety each day. We are conducting a thorough investigation to determine how this occurred and are committed to holding those responsible accountable for their negligence while pursuing justice on behalf of our clients.”

The Davises are seeking damages up to $5,000,000 to compensate for lost wages, loss of earning capacity, medical bills and other out-of-pocket expenses directly caused by the collision.

Other damages mentioned in the complaint include the plaintiffs’ loss of enjoyment of life and physical and mental suffering.

Arianna Pearson also died at the scene. Both families have set up GoFundMe pages.