Jackson metro’s beloved Santa Claus hospitalized after school bus crash

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – A man known to thousands of families across the Jackson metro as Santa Claus is recovering in the hospital after a serious crash Monday morning.

Alex “Buddy” Cooper, a Florence school district bus driver, was starting his morning route when his bus and an 18-wheeler collided on Highway 49 near Eagle Post Road in Rankin County just before 7 a.m. No students were on board at the time.

Cooper is currently stable, but his son, Gabe Cooper, said he faces mobility issues…

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