Woman Charged with DUI/Drugs in Crash with School Bus

State troopers say a 37-year-old woman was high on drugs when she slammed a minivan into the back of a stopped school bus on U.S. 82, resulting in 13 students being checked for minor injuries at the hospital in Brunswick.

Michelle O’Connor was charged with DUI/drugs, following too close and driving without a license as a result of the crash, which occurred at around 7:30 a.m. on U.S. 82 near Galilee Road west of Interstate 95, said Georgia State Patrol trooper Steven McKinney.

O’Connor was taken by county ambulance to Southeast Georgia Health System’s Brunswick hospital for injuries that appeared related to airbag deployment, McKinney said.

The school bus was carrying 16 passengers, mostly Glynn Academy high school students, according to McKinney and county schools police chief Rod Ellis. Some of the students on the bus attend Glynn Middle School, Ellis said.

Two students were transported to the Southeast Georgia Health System hospital by ambulance; 11 others were taken via another school bus.

The injuries were mostly complaints of muscle soreness and neck pain, Ellis said.

Always Stop for a School Bus, when…

Approaching behind a school bus when its’ lights flash yellow and red.
Driving on either side of a 2-lane highway, both sides of traffic must always stop! for a stopped school bus.

Never Stop for a School Bus, when…

Driving on the opposite side of traffic, on a 4-lane highway.

This is the common mistake most motorists make when approaching a stopped school bus.

If you are driving on the opposite side of the traffic of a school bus, on a 4-lane highway, always proceed with caution, but always keep moving! Stopping will impede traffic and may cause accidents.

To combat careless driving in school zones and bus routes, law enforcement has increased between 6:00 am to 9:00 am and 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

For more safe driving information or safe driving practices, A-1 Driving Schools has 19 convenient locations around metro Atlanta that all offer defensive driving courses!

For more information please call (770)962-9555 or visit us at www.a1drivingschools.com!

Jenny Chiem