Frankfort, KY — June 15, 2025, Carolyn Jackson and James Jackson were killed and another person was injured in a bus accident at about 11 a.m. on East Main Street.

Authorities said a westbound First Corinthian Baptist Church bus crashed into a telephone pole near Butler Drive.

Passenger Carolyn Jackson, 76, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, while her husband, 81-year-old James Jackson, died after being transported to a local hospital, according to authorities.

The bus driver, whose name has not been made public, was hospitalized with unspecified injuries, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the bus crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary

When people read that a church bus veered off the road and hit a telephone pole, resulting in two fatalities and another injury, the natural question that comes to mind is: What happened inside that bus? More importantly: Why did it leave the roadway in the first place?

Right now, the public doesn’t know. But that’s not because the answer is unknowable; it’s because no one has uncovered it yet. Getting to the truth requires a clear-eyed investigation, not guesswork or assumptions. We don't even know whether the bus swerved to avoid something or if the driver lost control for another reason. Was there a mechanical failure? A medical emergency? Distraction? Fatigue? These are unanswered questions.

The best starting point is the bus itself. If it was a modern commercial vehicle, it may have had an engine control module, essentially a black box, which could show how fast the bus was going, whether brakes were applied or if there was a sudden steering input. If the bus had in-cab cameras, they might reveal whether the driver was distracted or experienced a medical event. Cell phone records, especially if the driver was using a personal phone, can show if there was any communication activity at the time of the crash.

An outside investigation should also consider the church’s operational practices. Even when a crash involves a church group, if the bus is regularly transporting people, it raises the question of whether commercial driving rules apply. Did the driver hold the proper license? When was the vehicle last inspected? Were maintenance records up to date? In past cases I’ve handled, even well-meaning organizations have made dangerous oversights when it came to training and vetting drivers.

It’s easy to focus on the driver, especially since they were hospitalized and haven’t been publicly identified. But responsibility for a crash like this doesn’t always fall on just one person. I’ve worked on cases where the vehicle owner, the maintenance crew and even outside vendors played a role. A proper investigation doesn’t stop at the driver; it follows the chain of responsibility wherever it leads.

I can’t emphasize this enough: waiting for the official investigation to wrap up isn’t always enough. Authorities have limited resources, and their scope can be narrow. In my experience, an independent investigation is often necessary to find the truth, especially when lives have been lost and serious injuries sustained.

Key Takeaways

• We don’t yet know why the bus left the road. It could have been driver error, mechanical failure, distraction or something else entirely.
• Black box data, in-cab cameras and cell phone records are key pieces of evidence in uncovering the cause.
• Investigators should also look into the church’s responsibilities, including maintenance and driver qualifications.
• Accountability doesn’t begin or end with the driver; multiple parties may bear responsibility.
• Only a thorough, evidence-based investigation, independent of initial police reports, can determine who should answer for this crash.