A Tennessee mom, Misty Sue Coleman, allegedly hit her daughter with a car at school drop-off after the child missed her bus that morning. She has since been charged with child abuse. On August 19, 2025, Coleman drove her daughter to Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy after she didn’t catch her bus.
“The School Resource Deputy assigned to the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy responded to the school office for the report of a student being struck by their mother’s vehicle in the school parking lot,” the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office explained in an August 25 news release shared on Facebook.
According to the school’s staff, “The student arrived at the principal’s office visibly upset and disclosed that the mother became angry after the child missed the school bus,” the sheriff’s office continued. “While exiting (her mom’s) vehicle, the student stated the mother accelerated before the child was fully outside, striking the victim’s right ankle and driving away from campus without stopping.”
Deputies reviewed the school’s surveillance footage, which confirmed the student’s account of what happened.
“The video showed the student partially exiting the rear passenger side before the vehicle accelerated, striking the child and leaving the scene with the door still open,” the news release detailed. Coleman was charged with aggravated child abuse or neglect, WIFR reported.
Because of the victim’s age, her identity was not publicly released. The case remains under investigation.
In the comments of the sheriff’s office’s Facebook post, community members reacted to the report. One person shared, “I’m so glad we have cameras everywhere to catch people like this. I feel so bad for this child. I can’t imagine having such a cruel mother.”
Another commenter wrote, “All because she missed the bus. Just get up and take your child to school. Praying for this child.”
Someone else echoed, “Wow. This is so incredibly sad, our job is to love and nurture our children, not run them over with our cars for missing the bus? I hope the girl is ok physically, and is able to get some help and counseling. So sad… mom needs help too.”
“Omg my heart breaks for this child. WTH is wrong with this woman?? another Facebook user commented. “I get being irritated about missing the bus but this is next-level insanity! That’s her CHILD! I’m so sad and angry reading this!”
