Woman Who Crashed SUV Into Preschool Sentenced To 364 Days In Jail

A woman who crashed her car into an Anderson preschool has been sentenced. Two counts of felony reckless driving and 14 misdemeanor charges were filed last April against 22-year-old Courtney Dearman. Last month she pled no contest to 16 misdemeanor counts of reckless driving causing bodily injury. She was sentenced Thursday to 364 days in jail, which must be served immediately, followed by informal probation. On March 3rd of 2022, nineteen young children and one adult were injured when a Suzuki Grand Vitara driven by Dearman smashed through a wall and entered Great Adventures Christian Preschool and Daycare, a cinder block building at the corner of Balls Ferry Road and Martha Street. Anderson Police say the incident occurred as Dearman was trying to find her 18-year-old brother to prevent him from being beat up by some neighborhood boys. Courtney and her mother were driving down Balls Ferry Road when she somehow crashed into the building. The children have all recovered.