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01-25-2011, 06:21 PM
http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB/201.../101250349
The roadside sign along the winding, hilly stretch of Interstate 71 just outside Carrollton, Ky., almost blends in. It's standard green with white letters. It could mark an exit or the elevation or a county line or a state park. But it doesn't.
It marks one of the worst traffic accidents in United States history.
Jason Booher, who lived through the crash, was able to avoid the site for years. His burgeoning basketball coaching career took him to points all over the state. He criss-crossed the Bluegrass for tournaments and coaching clinics but rarely drove that fateful stretch of interstate. Now it's part of the road home.
In his first year as the boys' basketball coach at Holmes High School in Covington, he already has passed the sign a dozen times. "SITE OF FATAL BUS CRASH," it simply reads, "MAY 14, 1988."
Booher no longer gets emotional at the sight.
"But you do think back," he said recently. "You think, 'Here's the path we took.' "
The path Booher has taken, from survivor to crusader, began about 23 years and 50 miles from his office at Holmes. He, along with 66 others, was on a school bus, returning home to Radcliff, Ky., after spending the day with a youth group at Kings Island. It was around 11 p.m.
Booher, who was 13 at the time, talks about the events without much emotion, as if they had happened to someone else. Someone else, however, wouldn't know the horrific details.
"It was probably one of the greatest days of my life up to that point," said Booher. "It was beautiful outside. And there was really nobody at Kings Island, so we got to ride all the rides we wanted. But little did I know that the best day of my life was going to quickly turn into the most tragic day."
Unknown to the bus passengers, Larry Mahoney, a drunk driver, was driving northbound in the southbound lane, speeding around a bend straight for them. He slammed his pickup truck into the bus, rupturing its gas tank.
"All of a sudden, everyone got slammed into the seat in front of them," said Booher, who was seated on the passenger side of the bus, five rows from the back. "It went from complete loud joke-telling and laughing to complete silence. Gas was splashing all down the side of the bus I was on. After a two-second pause, everyone stood up, then all of a sudden there was a big ball of fire that came roaring up the side of the bus."
Various reports claim the inside of the bus reached 1,500 degrees within 90 seconds.
Chuck Kytta, a youth pastor and chaperone, was immediately engulfed in flames. Booher recalls it vividly.
"He yelled out, 'Lord, I'm coming home' as loud as he could," Booher said. "It was unbelievable to witness that at 13."
Booher's survival instinct kicked in. While children crammed the aisle, piling up near the rear emergency exit, he was able to climb over the seats and dive out a small opening at the top of the exit. He then began pulling others out.
He and others lay burn victims in the median. As black smoke and soot enveloped the bus, they thought they had everyone out. But 27 remained inside. All died, including Booher's best friend, Chad Witt.
The crash was a national news story. It led to stronger safety requirements for school buses. But when the cameras and correspondents left, Booher's hometown of Radcliff struggled to adjust to its new reality. Booher, one of just six victims to escape without serious injury, struggled as well.
"When you're 13, that's a fragile time for a young person," he said. "It's not like we were adults. It's tough to lose your best friend. But it wasn't just the 27 people who died. The 40 who survived, most of them had multiple skin grafts and burns. They were severely scarred for life. So there were constant reminders.
"Out my back door was Lee Williams' house. His wife was a chaperone, and his two kids were on there. None of the three made it out. In my neighborhood, there were like 10 kids in a half mile of me that didn't make it out. That's tough."
Booher said faith and basketball were his saving graces. He became a standout point guard at North Hardin High School, leading the Trojans to the state tournament in 1990 and 1991. He went on to the University of Kentucky, where he began preparations for a teaching and coaching career. And at the first stop on his professional journey, at Corbin High School in southern Kentucky, he drew on his past to impact the future. Booher began speaking to students about the dangers of drinking and driving.
"It was hard," he said. "I'd get emotional talking about it. But it's gotten a lot easier."
He now speaks at about 10 schools a year, using a slide show of images from the crash and subsequent criminal trial.
Last year, while leading small mountain school Shelby Valley to the state title, he drew inspiration from the tragedy. He talked to his players about the accident - he calls the speech his "testimony" - and dedicated the season to Witt.
"It's an unbelievable story; he has an incredible faith," said Elisha Justice, the star on last year's Shelby Valley team. "He came away from that, and he committed himself to being somebody who is a good influence on young people in all parts of their life, not just basketball."
Justice now plays for the University of Louisville. He maintains a close relationship with Booher, who has made the trip from Covington to Louisville several times. The drive, as well as his drive back to Radcliff, entails going past the accident site.
In recent years Carrollton locals have discussed taking down the sign that marks the accident site. Booher would like to see it stay.
"It's something that's changed history," he said. "It's something people relate to when they think about drinking and driving. What's the worst drinking-and-driving accident in the history of the nation? That's it.
"But the bus wasn't from that place. We were from Radcliff, just traveling through. People down there might think that it's a bad reflection on the community for something one person did to other people who weren't even from there. It would've been easier if we had all been from Carrollton. But hopefully it's another reminder of the tragedy and what the consequences of drinking and driving are."
The roadside sign along the winding, hilly stretch of Interstate 71 just outside Carrollton, Ky., almost blends in. It's standard green with white letters. It could mark an exit or the elevation or a county line or a state park. But it doesn't.
It marks one of the worst traffic accidents in United States history.
Jason Booher, who lived through the crash, was able to avoid the site for years. His burgeoning basketball coaching career took him to points all over the state. He criss-crossed the Bluegrass for tournaments and coaching clinics but rarely drove that fateful stretch of interstate. Now it's part of the road home.
In his first year as the boys' basketball coach at Holmes High School in Covington, he already has passed the sign a dozen times. "SITE OF FATAL BUS CRASH," it simply reads, "MAY 14, 1988."
Booher no longer gets emotional at the sight.
"But you do think back," he said recently. "You think, 'Here's the path we took.' "
The path Booher has taken, from survivor to crusader, began about 23 years and 50 miles from his office at Holmes. He, along with 66 others, was on a school bus, returning home to Radcliff, Ky., after spending the day with a youth group at Kings Island. It was around 11 p.m.
Booher, who was 13 at the time, talks about the events without much emotion, as if they had happened to someone else. Someone else, however, wouldn't know the horrific details.
"It was probably one of the greatest days of my life up to that point," said Booher. "It was beautiful outside. And there was really nobody at Kings Island, so we got to ride all the rides we wanted. But little did I know that the best day of my life was going to quickly turn into the most tragic day."
Unknown to the bus passengers, Larry Mahoney, a drunk driver, was driving northbound in the southbound lane, speeding around a bend straight for them. He slammed his pickup truck into the bus, rupturing its gas tank.
"All of a sudden, everyone got slammed into the seat in front of them," said Booher, who was seated on the passenger side of the bus, five rows from the back. "It went from complete loud joke-telling and laughing to complete silence. Gas was splashing all down the side of the bus I was on. After a two-second pause, everyone stood up, then all of a sudden there was a big ball of fire that came roaring up the side of the bus."
Various reports claim the inside of the bus reached 1,500 degrees within 90 seconds.
Chuck Kytta, a youth pastor and chaperone, was immediately engulfed in flames. Booher recalls it vividly.
"He yelled out, 'Lord, I'm coming home' as loud as he could," Booher said. "It was unbelievable to witness that at 13."
Booher's survival instinct kicked in. While children crammed the aisle, piling up near the rear emergency exit, he was able to climb over the seats and dive out a small opening at the top of the exit. He then began pulling others out.
He and others lay burn victims in the median. As black smoke and soot enveloped the bus, they thought they had everyone out. But 27 remained inside. All died, including Booher's best friend, Chad Witt.
The crash was a national news story. It led to stronger safety requirements for school buses. But when the cameras and correspondents left, Booher's hometown of Radcliff struggled to adjust to its new reality. Booher, one of just six victims to escape without serious injury, struggled as well.
"When you're 13, that's a fragile time for a young person," he said. "It's not like we were adults. It's tough to lose your best friend. But it wasn't just the 27 people who died. The 40 who survived, most of them had multiple skin grafts and burns. They were severely scarred for life. So there were constant reminders.
"Out my back door was Lee Williams' house. His wife was a chaperone, and his two kids were on there. None of the three made it out. In my neighborhood, there were like 10 kids in a half mile of me that didn't make it out. That's tough."
Booher said faith and basketball were his saving graces. He became a standout point guard at North Hardin High School, leading the Trojans to the state tournament in 1990 and 1991. He went on to the University of Kentucky, where he began preparations for a teaching and coaching career. And at the first stop on his professional journey, at Corbin High School in southern Kentucky, he drew on his past to impact the future. Booher began speaking to students about the dangers of drinking and driving.
"It was hard," he said. "I'd get emotional talking about it. But it's gotten a lot easier."
He now speaks at about 10 schools a year, using a slide show of images from the crash and subsequent criminal trial.
Last year, while leading small mountain school Shelby Valley to the state title, he drew inspiration from the tragedy. He talked to his players about the accident - he calls the speech his "testimony" - and dedicated the season to Witt.
"It's an unbelievable story; he has an incredible faith," said Elisha Justice, the star on last year's Shelby Valley team. "He came away from that, and he committed himself to being somebody who is a good influence on young people in all parts of their life, not just basketball."
Justice now plays for the University of Louisville. He maintains a close relationship with Booher, who has made the trip from Covington to Louisville several times. The drive, as well as his drive back to Radcliff, entails going past the accident site.
In recent years Carrollton locals have discussed taking down the sign that marks the accident site. Booher would like to see it stay.
"It's something that's changed history," he said. "It's something people relate to when they think about drinking and driving. What's the worst drinking-and-driving accident in the history of the nation? That's it.
"But the bus wasn't from that place. We were from Radcliff, just traveling through. People down there might think that it's a bad reflection on the community for something one person did to other people who weren't even from there. It would've been easier if we had all been from Carrollton. But hopefully it's another reminder of the tragedy and what the consequences of drinking and driving are."
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01-25-2011, 07:09 PM
How is he doing his first year at Holmes?
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
[COLOR="Blue"]
My Priorities are:
1)God
2)Family
3)Cougar Athletics!
Everything else doesn't matter![/COLOR]
[COLOR="Blue"]
My Priorities are:
1)God
2)Family
3)Cougar Athletics!
Everything else doesn't matter![/COLOR]
01-25-2011, 07:52 PM
^ It's to be expected that their would be an adjustment period with a new coach. This years Holmes team did have high expectations and through half the season, they have lost 6 games so far, or five less than the total number of games that they lost over the last three seasons. It's a different type of player from what he is used to.
01-25-2011, 10:07 PM
He came and spoke to Belfry's FCA my sophomore year. Great story.
01-26-2011, 12:57 AM
Nice Story
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