Brenda Gray, the Washington County school bus driver charged with 39 counts of reckless aggravated assault in connection with the crash Sept. 20 of a bus filled with high school students, made a brief appearance Tuesday in Washington County Criminal Court.

Gray, of Jonesborough, indicated she would hire a lawyer, and a return court date for arraignment was set for March 1, court officials said.

Gray was driving the bus filled with David Crockett High School students that rolled over and crashed on Mount Wesley Road.

In addition to the 39 felony counts of reckless aggravated assault handed up by a Washington County Grand Jury, Gray was also indicted on single counts of reckless endangerment and speeding.

The wreck resulted in injuries requiring hospitalization for at least 26 of the 39 students on board.

Tennessee Highway Patrol investigators who testified at the preliminary hearing after the wreck said that the school bus was traveling at a speed of between 52 and 60 mph when Gray lost control and the bus overturned.

The bus was traveling nearly twice the posted speed limit on the two-lane, curvy road in Telford, investigators said. The speed limit on the road is 30 mph.

Gray remains free on $50,000 bond pending the March 1 Washington County Criminal Court appearance.