Clarksville Middle Schooler Recovers At Home After Nearly Dying In Bus Choking Incident

Image Credit: Clarksville-Montgomery County School System

The Tennessee Conservative Staff –

A 12-year-old boy is recovering at home after being choked by a high schooler on a Clarksville-Montgomery County school bus in October.

After undergoing emergency brain surgery and spending more than two months in various hospitals, including Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and a rehab facility out of state, Hayden Horton has been released to continue his recovery at home.

Hayden’s mother, Jamie Horton, says he is “doing amazing, better than anybody could have anticipated, proving people wrong every day.” She said he is relearning how to walk and how to speak.

Despite the progress Hayden is making, Jamie still questions why no charges have been brought against the student who attacked her son on the bus.

The incident occurred on October 11, 2024, on a Clarksville-Montgomery County School System bus. For reasons that are unknown, a 16-year-old boy put Hayden in a headlock and began choking him. Two CMCSS employees stood nearby and watched this take place but did not move to stop it.

In the days after the incident, Hayden’s condition worsened at home, presenting with severe headaches and mobility issues. The family rushed him to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt on October 20, where he underwent emergency brain surgery due to blood clots that caused multiple strokes.

On Tuesday, January 7, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office told News 2 that the criminal case has been closed, with no charges filed against the 16-year-old who allegedly choked Hayden or the two adults on the bus.

The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services is continuing their investigation. A spokesperson for CMCSS stated that the two adults on the bus during the incident remain suspended without pay.