Fourteen-year-old Victoria Davis was supposed to be on the Meigs County school bus that crashed Tuesday afternoon. The crash claimed the life of the driver, 53-year-old Lisa Dillard, and a 7-year-old girl.
Seven other children were hospitalized after a utility vehicle – driven by 56-year-old Terry Trammell – slid sideways into the bus’ path in the 7700 block of Highway 58. A total of 32 children and one adult – the bus driver – were on board, according to school officials, though the Tennessee Highway Patrol has said there were 24.
Due to remote learning brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Meigs County students have only been attending in-person classes a few days per week, Stephanie Davis, Victoria’s mother, said. And Tuesday was not one of Victoria’s days to attend. But because she’d been having trouble accessing a remote learning program, her father, Cameron Davis, suggested she go in person to complete the assignment so she wouldn’t fall behind.
So Stephanie Davis started getting Victoria ready for school that Tuesday morning. But just as Victoria was putting on her shoes, her mother told her father, “‘Cameron, there is no sense in her going for just one class,'” she said. “And he was like, ‘Well, whatever. You do what you think is best.'”
The two had a bit of a disagreement over the issue, Stephanie Davis said, but she ultimately decided to let Victoria stay home.