Carrollton bus disaster
| Carrollton, Kentucky bus collision | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Date | May 14, 1988 |
| Location | Carrollton, Kentucky |
| Country |
 United States
|
| Statistics | |
| Bus | 1977 Superior/Ford B-700 (church bus) |
| Vehicles | Toyota Hilux |
| Passengers | 67 |
| Deaths | 27 |
| Injuries | 34 |
The Carrollton bus collision occurred on May 14, 1988, on Interstate 71 in unincorporated Carroll County, Kentucky. Involving a former school bus in use by a church youth group and a pickup truck driven by an impaired driver, the head-on collision was the deadliest incident involving drunk driving and the third-deadliest bus crash in United States history (as of 2016). Of the 67 people on the bus (counting the driver), there were 27 fatalities in the accident, the same number as the 1958 Prestonsburg, Kentucky bus disaster and behind the 1976 Yuba City bus disaster (29) and 1963 Chualar bus crashes (32).
In the aftermath of the disaster, several family members of victims became active leaders of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and one (Karolyn Nunnallee) became national president of the organization. The standards for both operation and equipment for school buses and similar buses were improved in Kentucky and many other states. These include an increased number of emergency exits, higher standards for structural integrity, and the use of less volatile diesel fuel (over gasoline). On Interstate 71, the crash site is marked with a highway sign erected by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). To this day, memorial items such as crosses and flower arrangements are placed at the site by families and friends.
On May 14, 1988, a youth group consisting of mostly teenagers who attended North Hardin High School, James T. Alton Middle School, Radcliff Middle School and four adults from Assembly of God in Radcliff, Kentucky boarded their church activity bus and headed to Kings Island theme park (north of Cincinnati, about 170 miles from Radcliff). The group included church members and their invited guests. As everyone arrived early that Saturday morning, those wanting to go on the trip had grown to more than originally anticipated. The church's principal pastor (who stayed behind) restricted the ridership to the legal limit of 66 persons plus the driver.
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