• Former Sumter County school bus driver Yvonne Hampton, 67, released from jail on $30,000 bond after first court appearance.
• Charged with 29 counts of child neglect, one count of reckless driving, and one count of culpable negligence.
• Incident occurred when the bus she was driving was struck by a CSX train at a railroad crossing in Bushnell, Florida, with 29 students on board.
• No injuries reported to the students.
• Judge ordered no contact with the children or their families, no return to school property, and no operation of a bus.
SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — A former Sumter County school bus driver faced her first court appearance Tuesday after a school bus she was operating was involved in a crash with a CSX train at a railroad crossing in Bushnell.
Yvonne Hampton, 67, was released from jail on a total $30,000 bond following the hearing on April 7, 2026. She had been charged with 29 counts of child neglect — $1,000 per count — along with one count of reckless driving and one count of culpable negligence, each carrying a $500 bond.
Investigators allege Hampton knowingly entered the railroad crossing after the warning systems had activated. Video obtained shows the school bus slowly inching forward across the tracks as the CSX train passed by and clipped the back of the bus. The bus was carrying 29 students at the time, and no injuries were reported.
Hampton, who had been a school bus driver for Sumter County, quit in lieu of termination following the incident. She has no prior convictions.
During her release, Hampton was quickly escorted to a nearby red pickup truck around 5:30 p.m. She did not respond to questions from reporters and offered no comment.
A judge ordered Hampton to have no contact with the affected children or their families, not to return to school property, and not to operate a bus.
The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and school district addressed the investigation in video statements posted on the district’s Facebook page on April 6, 2026.
In conclusion, the case remains ongoing as Hampton was released under strict conditions while facing multiple charges related to the safety of the 29 students on the bus.