A Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school bus driver involved in a crash Monday claims she was 'sleep-driving' when the accident happened.
Holly Weavil said she doesn't remember the accident or picking up the two students on board the bus.
Police say Weavil hit two parked cars, a mailbox and a tractor trailer with a school bus on Monday.
The accident happened on Dallas Drive as Weavil was headed to Southeast Middle School.
Officers said Weavil drove off after the collisions and eventually returned to the scene after police were called. Weavil was arrested on the scene and is charged with four counts of hit and run.
She has been with the school system for more than 20 years and has a clean record.
The North Carolina Association of Educators has come to Weavil's defense, claiming the prescription sleep medicine Ambien is to blame.
"She hardly remembers it happening at all," said Tripp Jeffers, NCAE President.
A doctor prescribed Weavil zolpidem, the generic version of Ambien, for insomnia.
"She got eight hours of sleep, took medicine as prescribed and had no reason to think whatsoever it would effect her performance," said Jeffers.
The NCAE said tests have proven Weavil was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident
"She would've never taken anything if she thought it would impair her in least little bit," said Cheryl Brady, a friend of Weavil and a retired school bus driver.
FOX8 News asked Dr. Vaughn McCall of Wake Forest University School of Medicine to explain the possible side effects of zolpidem.
"You can see amnesia, trouble walking, hallucinations and sleep walking among most common side effects," said McCall. "It's a powerful sleep medication helpful to a lot of people maybe one-to five percent of people that take zolpidem will have one unusual experience."
Weavil is reportedly no longer taking the medicine. Jeffers said she doesn't want to drive a school bus anymore, but would like to keep working for the school system.
Holly Weavil said she doesn't remember the accident or picking up the two students on board the bus.
Police say Weavil hit two parked cars, a mailbox and a tractor trailer with a school bus on Monday.
The accident happened on Dallas Drive as Weavil was headed to Southeast Middle School.
Officers said Weavil drove off after the collisions and eventually returned to the scene after police were called. Weavil was arrested on the scene and is charged with four counts of hit and run.
She has been with the school system for more than 20 years and has a clean record.
The North Carolina Association of Educators has come to Weavil's defense, claiming the prescription sleep medicine Ambien is to blame.
"She hardly remembers it happening at all," said Tripp Jeffers, NCAE President.
A doctor prescribed Weavil zolpidem, the generic version of Ambien, for insomnia.
"She got eight hours of sleep, took medicine as prescribed and had no reason to think whatsoever it would effect her performance," said Jeffers.
The NCAE said tests have proven Weavil was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident
"She would've never taken anything if she thought it would impair her in least little bit," said Cheryl Brady, a friend of Weavil and a retired school bus driver.
FOX8 News asked Dr. Vaughn McCall of Wake Forest University School of Medicine to explain the possible side effects of zolpidem.
"You can see amnesia, trouble walking, hallucinations and sleep walking among most common side effects," said McCall. "It's a powerful sleep medication helpful to a lot of people maybe one-to five percent of people that take zolpidem will have one unusual experience."
Weavil is reportedly no longer taking the medicine. Jeffers said she doesn't want to drive a school bus anymore, but would like to keep working for the school system.
