Milo D. Bryant, the former transportation secretary in Kentucky who pushed for school bus safety changes following the fatal 1988 crash in Carrollton that killed 27 people, has passed away, The Courier-Journal reports.

In the accident, a school bus that was returning from an amusement park was struck head-on by a drunken driver. No one was killed in the collision, but 24 children and three adults died in the fire stemming from the collision, according to The Courier-Journal.

Then Gov. Wallace Wilkinson appointed Bryant to lead a bus safety task force that recommended additional exits on new buses, push-out windows on both new and old buses, fire-retardant seats and floor coverings, and increased training for new school bus drivers.

“School buses and schoolchildren are safer today because of Milo and Gov. Wilkinson,” Doug Alexander, Wilkinson’s former spokesman, told the news outlet. He also noted a $50 million rebuilding project aimed at bridges that carried school buses, which Bryant spearheaded.

Bryant most recently served as chairman and CEO of Ayrshire Electronics. He passed away last week after a brief illness at the age of 82. He is survived by his wife, daughter, three grandchildren and his brother.

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Our coverage of the 2009 National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services conference includes more information about the 1988 Carrollton, Ky., crash:

• State Directors Delve Into Bus Crash Details