Students not injured in near head-on collision with confused driver
Brewton school bus damaged in crash
Fourteen T.R. Miller High School tennis team students and the school's bus driver escaped injury Friday afternoon as they returned from the state tennis tournament in Mobile when the school bus was hit near-head on while traveling on Highway 41 north of Brewton.
The driver of the vehicle that veered into the path of the school bus, Kenneth David Cox, 75, of Pensacola was treated and released from D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital in Brewton.
According to reports released by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, the school bus was traveling on Highway 41 near Pettis Lane and Emmons Road about 3:15 p.m. when the crash occurred.
The driver of the school bus, Teralyn Moore Kast, 30, of Castleberry told state troopers that Cox's 2014 Fiat was completely in her lane traveling at a high rate of speed and she swerved to avoid a complete head-on collision.
Troopers estimated the speed of Cox's vehicle at 75 mph and the school bus at 50 mph in a 55 mph speed zone at the time of the crash.
An investigation of the crash revealed Cox exhibited an altered mental status and it was determined that his memory was possibly impaired by Alzheimer's. Reports note that Cox stated he thought he was in Pensacola and turning into his driveway at the time of the crash.
In an attempt to locate Cox's next of kin in Pensacola, troopers learned that a missing and endangered person report had been filed days before the crash.
Relatives came to D.W. McMillan Memorial Hospital and later returned Cox to Pensacola. Cox was issued citations for improper lane usage and not using reasonable prudent speed.
