Kentucky commemorates 1958 school bus crash

FRANKFORT, Ky. — On Feb. 28, the state Senate passed a resolution commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Prestonburg school bus crash of 1958.

In that accident, 26 children and their bus driver died after the bus collided with a tow truck and fell into the Big Sandy River. The other 21 passengers survived the crash.

Although no monument was installed immediately afterward in order to not remind families of the tragedy, a permanent monument was dedicated at Jenny Wiley State Park in 1984, and another memorial was recently unveiled in Prestonburg.

With the resolution, the state’s senators expressed their condolences to the surviving friends and family members of the victims, and adjourned their session in honor of the crash victims.

Sen. Johnny Ray Turner will present copies of the resolution to local officials and family members.