From Tragedy to Triumph

Jason Booher ’96 ED was not going to let tragedy define who he was or what he became.

By Hal Morris

Booher, the recently-named superintendent of the Mercer County Public Schools in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, is a survivor of the 1988 Carrollton, Kentucky, bus crash, still the deadliest drunk driving accident in U.S. history. He is one of 40 survivors of the crash that claimed 27 lives.

Booher, who earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from the UK College of Education in 1996, has been a teacher, coach and administrator over the past 25 years. None of it would not have been possible without the support he received back in his hometown of Radcliff and at UK after the fateful night of May 14, 1988.

“I was about to go to high school, and we had the best day of our lives up to that point. We went to Kings Island, and it was a beautiful day with all my friends. We had an unbelievable day,” Booher says. “Then, little did I know that it was going to turn into the most tragic thing anyone could ever go through at 13 years old.”

The school bus with Booher and 66 others was heading back to Hardin County on I-71 that night when a drunk driver was heading the wrong way on I-71 and hit the bus headon causing an explosion.

The 1988 Carrollton, Kentucky, bus crash, is the deadliest drunk driving accident in U.S. history claiming 27 lives.

Photo courtesy of The Courier-Journal

“We had just filled up with unleaded gas, which is highly explosive. When he hit our bus head on right on the gas tank, it splashed all down the side and then immediately engulfed in flames. All of us were trying to get out one little door in the back because we didn’t have all the safety features that today’s buses have,” he says. “Only 40 of us made it out, many of them severely burned. That was a fragile time in my life because my best friend Chad (Witt) was sitting next to me in the same seat and didn’t make it out.”

An event of that magnitude would understandably have damaging and long-lasting effects, but Booher credits his teachers and North Hardin High School for making sure that he was able to overcome those obstacles.

“Over those next four years, teachers and coaches didn’t just take care of me and just feel sorry for me,” he says. “What they did for me was they pushed me. They motivated me and they challenged me. They made sure I didn’t fall through the cracks and become another statistic or an atrisk kid.”

Those influences paved the way for Booher to realize what he wanted to do with his life shortly after arriving at the University of Kentucky.

“At freshman orientation, they said the average freshman changes their major three or four times, and I really didn’t know what I wanted to do at the time. After that first semester, I was thinking, ‘if teachers and coaches had that big of an impact on my life those four years after the bus crash, then that’s what I want to do with the rest of my life,’” Booher says. “I just knew I wanted to coach and be an educator for my career. I don’t even view it as work; I’m trying to inspire and help young people.

Booher credits his self-drive and independence for motivating him in college.

“I’ve always had my own goals and dreams. I’ve never needed people to set my goals for me, although that’s what those teachers and coaches did for me during high school. I had goals and dreams for my life, and I know those things don’t just fall in your lap. You have to work extremely hard for them.”

That drive and confidence also convinced Booher he had what it took to fulfill every Kentucky kid’s dream and join the UK basketball program with then-coach Rick Pitino.

“I grew up like every other basketball player in Kentucky. I wanted to play for UK. I wanted to play for Rick Pitino. We had a really good basketball team and I thought I was really good at the time. I went there to walk on, and I thought I could just walk into Rick Pitino’s office and tell him I was a pretty good high school player and probably need to be on your basketball team,” Booher laughs.

While playing for the Wildcats did not work out, he did work with the UK women’s basketball team for a couple of years, helping scout and serving as a scout team player. He also served on the Student Athletic Council and worked with the K Club at UK football and basketball games. “It was a great experience for me at Kentucky,” he says. After graduating from UK, Booher took a position as a math teacher and assistant basketball coach at Corbin High School. He then went to Henry County for a year before returning home to North Hardin to teach and coach under his high school coach, Ron Bevars. Booher had sights on being an administrator, and a Hardin County district policy prohibited administrators from coaching, so he made his way to Shelby Valley.

“My wife (Hilary) is from Pikeville, and we just had our first-born, our son Harrison (the couple also have a daughter, Jewel). We moved there and they hired me as assistant principal, then head coach and the rest is history.”

He won the All “A” state tournament and the Kentucky Sweet Sixteen with Shelby Valley High School in 2010 — still the only team in state history to accomplish the feat. Booher called winning a state title at Shelby Valley “Kentucky’s version of Hoosiers” since the Wildcats had to beat powerful Louisville Ballard in the finals. Booher later went to Covington Holmes and led the Bulldogs to the state tournament in 2013.

“Winning a state title was always my goal, my dream. Not only did I want to give back to young people, but I also had in the back of my mind that it would be a dream come true if I could ever win a state championship as a coach. Coach Bevars was right there in 2010 when we cut down the nets at Rupp Arena and it felt great he was able to be part of that and share that moment with me.”

Booher earned his master’s degree and his Rank I with superintendent, director of pupil personnel and instructional supervisor certifications from Morehead State University. He knew he wanted to become a superintendent one day, but there was one thing that kept getting in the way.

“I never could get coaching out of my blood,” he says. “Coaching was just something I always knew I wanted to do.”

Booher retired from coaching in 2014 and served as assistant principal and athletic director at Pikeville High School for four years. He then became principal for the past seven years until his current position at Mercer County.

Even with coaching out of his blood, Booher still needed something to help his competitive edge, so he became a marathon runner.

“I like to run as a stress reliever. I wanted to get coaching out of my blood, but I couldn’t’ get competitiveness out of my blood,” he says. “I had no more games to coach, so I have this. Now I want to try and qualify for the six world major marathons (Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York).”

Booher has also taken that competitive spirit to Mercer County.

“Everywhere I’ve been, whether it’s for basketball or as an athletics director, principal or as superintendent, I just want to be the best,” he says. “I want Mercer to be a better place and raise the bar. The kids only have a one-shot deal in education – you don’t get to hit the rewind button.”

Booher also regularly talks to students and groups about that day in 1988, and he has a consistent message for young people.

“Everybody’s life is going to be like a roller coaster. You’re going to have tragedy or adversity in your life, but don’t allow those bad, rough, tough times take your eyes off of your goals and dreams.

“One thing I always tell them is, ‘Yes, me and 39 other survivors of this Carrollton bus crash could have sat in Radcliff, Kentucky, and everybody would know us as a Carrollton bus crash survivor. But we wouldn’t have an impact today and be able to inspire thousands of people. Hopefully, through my career and what the Lord allowed me to do, He’s given me opportunities and a platform to be able to share my testimony.’ I want to use that to go out and make an impact on people’s lives.” ■