Lawsuit accuses KY school bus driver of using phone when hitting, killing child
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Lawsuit alleges driver streamed videos, turned off phone and did not check scene.
- Court papers cite prior suspensions and allege district negligent hiring and training.
- Police report finds no impairment; records show recent speeding and insurance citation.
A little more than a year ago, 15-year-old McKenna Letcher was hit and killed by a Clark County school bus while crossing the road.
McKenna’s mother, in a lawsuit filed last fall, makes several accusations against the bus driver.
The most serious accusation is that the bus driver, Paul Hollon, was streaming videos on his phone when he hit McKenna. And several incidents in Hollon’s work history, including multiple suspensions at a previous job, should have prevented him from being hired by the Clark County School District, according to the suit, filed Oct. 18, 2024.
The driver denies he was streaming videos. Instead, he said during an interview related to the lawsuit that he was playing a music playlist on his phone.
Hollon turned off his phone after hitting McKenna, and he did not leave the bus to check on McKenna, in violation of district guidelines, according to the interview.
Hollon has not been charged with a crime in the crash. Clark County Schools has not responded to multiple requests for comment about Hollon’s employment status.
The lawsuit also accuses Daren Snell, director of logistics and student support services, which oversees the district’s transportation division, of negligent hiring, training and supervision.
John McNeill, the lawyer representing Hollon and Snell, did not respond to a request for comment.
McKenna’s mother, Kari McIntosh, seeks an unspecified amount of damages for wrongful death and negligence in the lawsuit, filed in Clark Circuit Court. She is represented by Jon Hollan, an attorney with Sam Aguiar Injury Lawyers.
Hollan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit is ongoing, and the next scheduled court appearance is Nov. 20. Where’s where the case stands.
Details of the collision
The crash happened Sept. 3, 2024, at Veterans Memorial Parkway and Ironworks Road. McKenna, a freshman at George Rogers Clark High School, was trying to cross Veterans Memorial when she was hit by the bus.
She was pronounced dead at the scene. She was described as a caring, joyful and creative child who dreamed of being a mechanic.
Hollon had just picked up the final student on his morning route and was headed to Conkwright Elementary School, about two miles from the crash scene.
Nine elementary school children were on the bus, along with a bus driver trainee. Hollon told investigators that conditions were “consistent with a September morning.” The road was dry, but it was dark, according to a police report on the crash.
McKenna entered the intersection with the right of way as a pedestrian, and she was in the intersection for about seven seconds before the crash happened, said Hollan, McKenna’s mother’s lawyer.
Hollon had a red light for at least 15 seconds as he approached the intersection, and he attempted to do a rolling stop instead of coming to a complete stop. Kentucky school bus drivers are trained to come to a complete stop if the intersection they are approaching has a red light.
McKenna was in the intersection before the light turned green, according to the lawsuit, and Kentucky school bus drivers are also trained to yield to pedestrians, even after a stop light turns green, according to the suit.
Hollon told investigators the light was red as he approached the intersection, but he sped up after it turned green. The police report says Hollon was driving between 40-45 mph in a 55 mph zone.
Hollon hit McKenna in the right lane of Veterans Memorial Parkway. Hollon told investigators McKenna dashed out in front of him and that there was no time to avoid the collision.
According to a police report, there were no vehicular, environmental or human factors that caused the collision. Hollon was tested for drug and alcohol usage, and he was not impaired while driving.
Hollon’s actions, “reflect a grave and reckless disregard for the safety of the general public which directly lead to the preventable crash which took the life of McKenna Letcher,” according to the lawsuit.
Hollon’s work history includes suspensions, HR interventions
Hollon was hired as a bus driver by Clark County Schools in January 2023. Before that, according to the lawsuit filed by McKenna Letcher’s mother, he worked for Paris Independent Schools as a bus driver and was suspended multiple times for incidents related to personal and professional conduct.
After serving his final suspension, Hollon resigned while another misconduct investigation was ongoing, according to the suit.
Sometime after being hired by Clark County Schools, Hollon was promoted to be a trainer of other bus drivers. Court documents say in April 2024, Snell told Hollon he needed to “focus on improving training.”
Hollon was also involved in a human resources action related to de-escalation two weeks before the collision that killed McKenna, according to the suit.
Last month, Hollon was cited in Fayette County for driving 66 mph in a 45 mph zone and failing to maintain insurance, court records show.
This story was originally published October 16, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
