| 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°36′19″N 85°10′13″W / 38.605241°N 85.170261°W |
| Country | United States |
| Incident type | Head-on collision resulting in catastrophic fire of bus |
| Cause |
|
| Statistics | |
| Vehicles | |
| Passengers | 67 |
| 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.