Editor's note: the following was submitted by Brown County Sheriff John Merchant.

(MSC News) I recently returned from the Lifesavers Conference, held in Louisville,Kentucky.  This national conference is the largest gathering of highway
safety professionals across the country.  Many important and informative
workshops and training are provided – pedestrians, driving, teen safety,
communications, criminal justice, and impairment, to name a few.  I would
like to thank KDOT for funding my attendance at this highly acclaimed
training event.

While there were many noteworthy events and workshops that stand out in my
mind, the one which really struck home was an older white school bus parked
in the exhibit hall.  As I walked around the outside of the bus, I noticed
the date "MAY 14, 1988" written in bold letters on its sides.  A fellow by
the name of Quinton Higgins, Jr. approached me and explained that this was
his bus and he wanted me to know why it was so important to him.

On May 14, 1988, Quinton was 15 years-old and part of a church youth group
riding on the bus.  Not far from Cincinnati, a drunk driver, Larry Mahoney,
was driving the wrong way in his pickup and collided with the bus. His
blood alcohol concentration was .24% (over 3 times the current legal limit
and 2.5 times the legal limit in 1988) and he had been arrested for DUI
once before.  The impact punctured the gas tank which resulted in a fire.
Since the gas tank was located near the front of the bus, all exiting had
to be done through the rear door.  In the end, 27 youth and sponsors were
unable to get out and died, making this the deadliest drunk driving crash
in American history.

Quinton invited me to enter the bus, and as I did so I immediately noticed
large pictures taped to the seats.  These were of those who were unable to
escape on that fateful day.  It was humbling to stand there and imagine the
carnage that had occurred around me.  Quinton told me he felt compelled to
help spread the word about the dangers of drunk driving in the hope of
savings lives.  Even after all the years that have passed, he is still
emotional as he remembers those who were lost.  He has made it his life’s
mission to make as many people as he can aware of what can happen when
drivers decide to drive drunk.

I was honored to meet and speak with Quinton.  Larry Mahoney, the driver of
the pickup, was found guilty of 27 counts of 2nd-degree manslaughter, 16
counts of 2nd-degree assault and 27 counts of wanton endangerment, for
which he received a sentence of 16 years.  Owing to good behavior, he
served just under 11 of those years.  Since the crash, the state of
Kentucky has instituted school bus safety regulations which have greatly
decreased the chances of such a tragedy happening again.  And the incident
also played a role in the passage of stricter drunk driving laws in 1991.