On this day, May 14, 1988, the deadliest incident involving drunk driving in U.S. history occurred.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Carrollton bus collision

Details
Date: May 14, 1988; 10:55 pm (EDT)
Location: Interstate 71; 5 mi (8.0 km) S from Carrollton, Kentucky
Coordinates: 38.605241°N 85.170261°W
Incident type: Head-on collision resulting in catastrophic fire of bus
Cause: Pickup truck driver driving under the influence in wrong direction; Egress difficulties impairing bus evacuation (secondary)
Deaths: 27
Injured: 34

The Carrollton bus collision occurred on May 14, 1988, on Interstate 71 in unincorporated Carroll County, Kentucky. The collision involved a former school bus in use by a church youth group and a pickup truck driven by an alcohol-impaired driver. The head-on collision was the deadliest incident involving drunk driving and the third-deadliest bus crash in U.S. history. Of the 67 people on the bus (counting the driver), there were 27 fatalities in the crash, the same number as the 1958 Prestonsburg bus disaster, and behind the 1976 Yuba City bus disaster (29) and 1963 Chualar bus crash (32).

In the aftermath of the disaster, several family members of victims became active leaders of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, 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. On Interstate 71, the crash site is marked with a highway sign erected by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Memorial items such as crosses and flower arrangements are regularly placed at the site by families and friends.

{snip}

Collision

At 10:55 p.m., while heading south on Interstate 71 outside of Carrollton, Kentucky, the bus collided almost head-on with a black 1987 Toyota pickup truck which was traveling the wrong way (north in the southbound lanes) at a high speed on a curved stretch of the highway. The small truck was driven by Larry Wayne Mahoney, a 34-year-old factory worker who was intoxicated. Mahoney later admitted he had been drinking in a bar and at a friend's house prior to the collision. Police also found a twelve-pack of Miller Lite beer in Mahoney's truck which was still cold and had several cans missing.

During the collision, the left rear of the pickup truck spun 90 degrees to the right and, while doing so, struck the left side of a 1977 Cadillac Sedan de Ville heading in the same direction of the bus causing damage to the back driver's door and vinyl roof. The car had broken glass along with red plastic material that was from the taillight lens of the Toyota. The right front of the pickup truck struck the right front of the bus, breaking off the bus's suspension and driving the leaf spring backward into the gas tank mounted behind an exterior panel but outside the heavier frame, just behind the step well for the front door, rendering the door inoperative. The front door was blocked by collision damage, and there were no emergency exit windows or roof hatches, as found on commercial buses and some school buses of the time.

Nobody aboard the bus was seriously injured by the actual collision between the two vehicles (though both vehicle drivers sustained injuries). However, the impact of the collision created a secondary situation, as the right front suspension of the Ford chassis broke off through the bus stepwell, puncturing the gasoline fuel tank and igniting the fuel supply. When fire first broke out immediately after the collision, bus driver John Pearman tried to put it out with a small fire extinguisher while passengers began to evacuate through the center rear emergency door, squeezing through the narrow opening between the two rear seats and jumping to the ground.

A survivor recounted the accident and the quick time between everything, stating: "We knew we hit something, and...all the kids got up in the aisle thinking we were gonna get off. And within 20 second you felt the heat come in the bus. You started hearing kids crying and screaming for their mom, panicking. That's when everybody started pushing on everybody to go one way." Another remembered startling awake after the accident and attempting to escape through a window but it refused to open, before rushing to the back.

Survivors stated that after emptying the small fire extinguisher, Pearman helped some of the many children find their way down the narrow and dark aisle to the only practical way out of the smoke-filled bus. According to the NTSB investigation, more than 60 persons trying to reach the only available exit (the rear emergency door) created a crush of bodies in the 12 inch-wide aisle. Many passengers found themselves unable to move. A beverage cooler which had been earlier placed in the aisle near row 10 (of 11 rows of seats) further exacerbated this problem. A pileup of passengers formed in and adjacent to the twelve-inch (30 cm) aisle leading to the rear door, which was partially blocked by seat backs from the last row and a cooler stored in the aisle near row 10.

Attempts by some of the other passengers to break or kick out any of the split-sash-type side windows were unsuccessful. Only one adult, a woman who was of small stature, managed to escape through a nine-inch (23 cm) opening side window. When she looked back up from the ground, the window opening was filled with flames. The other three adults aboard, including Pearman, died. Passersby and some of the escaped passengers helped to extract immobilized children through the rear door, and help them to ground level about 3 ft (0.91 m) below. A survivor recounted how when he reached the back door; "Someone on the outside grabbed my arm, put their foot on the bumper and literally pulled me out. I hit the asphalt and started running...I could hear the screams and the explosions."

However, within four minutes or less, the entire bus was on fire, and soon the exodus of passengers stopped. At that point, the passersby who had stopped to help could not reach those still aboard due to the raging fire, and turned their efforts to tending to the crowd of 40 mostly injured survivors. Soon the entire interior of the bus flashed over, ultimately burning the trapped 27 people remaining aboard. At that point, no more passengers were accessible from outside the bus.

After fire, rescue, and Kentucky State Police troopers responded to the scene, treated and transported survivors, and extinguished the fire, a crane was used to load the bus onto a flatbed truck that transported the bus and those persons killed to the National Guard Armory in Carrollton. There, the KSP and the Carroll County coroner went through the interior of the bus seat by seat to find and remove bodies. Most of the bodies were burned beyond recognition.

{snip}

Sun May 14, 2023: On this day, May 14, 1988, the Carrollton bus collision happened.

Sat May 14, 2022: On this day, May 14, 1988, the Carrollton bus collision happened.

[JohnnyRingo]

1. It looks like an impaired driver caused a wreck.

But poor design killed 27 people. No emergency exit, vulnerable fuel cell, and windows that cannot be popped out.
That bus should not pass safety inspection. I hope the law was changed.

I would point out that the fuel cell was located right next to the only exit. That bus company should have been sued out of existence.

[sl8]

3. According to this piece, the NTSB report agrees with you about the bus design:

https://mezrano.com/tragedy-revisited-reflecting-on-the-carrollton-bus-collision-aftermath/

The NTSB Report
The NTSB report concluded that the bus’s design contributed to the fatalities, prompting calls for stricter safety standards. The report found that the unprotected fuel tank, flammable seat covers, and partially obstructed rear exit were among the design flaws that exacerbated the tragedy.


[...]

Legislative Legacy
The Carrollton bus collision instigated major legislative changes both in Kentucky and nationwide. In response to the tragedy, lawmakers implemented stricter bus safety regulations and drunk driving laws, aiming to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Kentucky’s Response
In response to the tragedy, Kentucky implemented stricter bus safety regulations, such as protected gas tank, non-flammable bus seat material, and an increased number of emergency exits. These changes aimed to address the design flaws identified in the NTSB report and improve overall bus safety.

Kentucky also enacted harsher penalties for drunk driving, including mandatory ignition interlock systems for certain DUI offenders. These changes have been effective in reducing similar incidents and increasing overall traffic safety in the state.

[...]

[JohnnyRingo]

6. Many don't know it, but buses and trucks lag in safety regs.

Whether it's airbags, rear cameras, or seat belts, trucks have years to comply after passenger cars.
Buses as well because they're fleet vehicles. There has been a run of at least a dozen deadly tire blowouts on buses.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. "The National Transportation Safety Board responded, conducted an investigation and issued a report on March 28, 1989."

Investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board responded, conducted an investigation and issued a report on March 28, 1989.

About 10:55 p.m. EDT on May 14, 1988, a pickup truck traveling northbound in the southbound lanes of Interstate 71 struck head-on a church activity bus traveling southbound in the left lane of the highway near Carrollton, Kentucky. As the pickup truck rotated during impact, it struck a passenger car traveling southbound in the right lane near the church bus. The church bus fuel tank was punctured during the collision sequence, and a fire ensued, engulfing the entire bus. The bus driver and 26 bus passengers were fatally injured. Thirty-four bus passengers sustained minor to critical injuries, and six bus passengers were not injured. The pickup truck driver sustained serious injuries, but neither occupant of the passenger car was injured.[17]

The NTSB determined that "the probable cause of the collision between the pickup truck and the church activity bus was the alcohol-impaired condition of the pickup truck driver who operated his vehicle opposite to the direction of traffic flow on an interstate highway." The agency also found that the design of the 11-year-old bus also contributed to the fatalities. The bus's fuel tank was unprotected, seat covers were made of flammable material, and the rear exit was partially blocked by a row of seats.[18] Following the NTSB report, and much sooner in many instances, many federal, state, and local agencies and bus manufacturers changed regulations, vehicle features, and operating practices.

The board recommended the phaseout of buses not meeting the federal standards established in 1977. The standards required all new school buses to have stronger fuel tanks, stronger seats and more accessible emergency exits. At the time the report was issued, about 22% of school buses in use nationwide were built before the standards were in place. The board also recommended stricter punishments for drunk driving.

{snip}

[17] Highway Accident Report (Report). National Transportation Safety Board. March 28, 1989. Archived from the original on October 21, 2011. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
[18] "NTSB seeks measures after school bus crash". Park City Daily News. Associated Press. March 29, 1989. p. 1-A.

{snip

Thanks for writing, and good morning.

[sl8]

2. "Tragedy Revisited: Reflecting on the Carrollton Bus Collision Aftermath"

https://mezrano.com/tragedy-revisited-reflecting-on-the-carrollton-bus-collision-aftermath/

Tragedy Revisited: Reflecting on the Carrollton Bus Collision Aftermath
Last updated Monday, December 4th, 2023

[unc70]

5. I spoke with some of the group earlier that night

I and an employee/friend were in Cincinnati on business, had some free time that day, and wound up at Kings Island that evening. We were in line multiple times with members of this group. We chatted with some of them while in line together, mostly about the roller coasters we were all riding that night, but also things like where we were from. Nothing important; just people sharing a fun experience.