School bus driver charged with using bus as weapon

Michelle Basch, wtop.com

WASHINGTON — A local school bus driver is charged with using her bus as a weapon, using it to deliberately crash it into a school office.

Police say Theresa Douglas, a Prince George’s County Public Schools bus driver, had an ongoing disagreement with a co-worker and recently tried to get a protective order against the co-worker, but a judge dismissed it.

Early Wednesday, Douglas, 40, reported for work at a school bus lot in Accokeek, in the 1700 block of Accokeek Road. Around 5:40 a.m., Douglas got into the driver’s seat of a bus.

“For reasons we’ve yet to determine, that dispute drove her to drive one of her buses into the side of the trailer that’s being doubled as an office,” says Prince George’s County Police Cpl. Evan Baxter.

No children were aboard the bus at the time of the crash.

The side of the office trailer was damaged and three people inside suffered minor injuries. At least one was treated and released at a hospital.

“We have since arrested and charged her with three counts of first- and second-degree assault, as well as malicious destruction of property,” Baxter says.

On Tuesday, the day before the crash, Douglas of Nanjemoy posted cryptic messages on her Facebook page, “My last time on FB. Thanks to all that made it fun,” read one.

Another hinted at bad things to come, “Finally finish fighting ready to go to jail”.

Follow Michelle Basch and WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2011 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up