AN AMERICAN mother is facing child neglect charges after she made her two children walk to school after they missed their morning bus.

32-year-old Lisa Marie Palmer reportedly forced her daughters to start walking the 4km route to school in cold weather, while she slowly drove her gold Cadilac 50m ahead of them.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press said the woman was charged after authorities found her, the children and the family dog almost halfway to school. Mrs Palmer said she was punishing the pair for missing their bus.

The Sheriff’s deputy Chriss Ladd said the girls, who were both aged under 10, had about 3km of walking to go before they reached the school.

It “appeared as if she [Mrs Palmer] was driving ahead of the children and allowing them to walk and catch up to her vehicle and to proceed with that action until the children reached the school,” Ladd’s report said.

“Temperatures were cold, and traffic was beginning to become heavy with citizens heading to work,” Ladd said. “Mrs. Palmer was in no position to reach her children safely in the event of an emergency.”

She is also accused of driving without a licence, and will appear in court on 18th April.