KY high school senior ‘fighting for his life.’ Driver accused of hitting him is charged.

Sunday’s Floyd Central High School Senior Graduation Parade was postponed in support of a senior who was struck by a vehicle and flown to a hospital Saturday.

A GoFundMe account that had raised $9,465 of the requested $16,000 by Tuesday night identified the student as Landon Samons, who had played football for Floyd Central, worked for Food City and was headed to the University of Pikeville to study nursing. He was in critical condition Tuesday night.

“The decision to postpone the senior parade was made collectively by the principal, students, and parents following a serious accident involving one of our senior students,” Floyd Superintendent Tonya Williams told the Herald-Leader Sunday morning.

Williams said the student was weed eating on an embankment when the incident happened. He was flown to St. Mary’s Hospital in Huntington, West Virginia, to be treated for life-threatening injuries.

“In that moment, the focus of our school community shifted completely. There was a shared understanding that it was not the right time for a celebration while one of our own is fighting for his life,” Williams said. “This senior class is a close-knit group, and the care they have for one another is evident in this response. As a school community, we are standing together in support of this student and his family, keeping them in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

A police citation in Floyd County court records said Julia Vanderpool, 55, of Prestonsburg, was the driver of the vehicle that struck the student. Vanderpool was arrested May 30 and charged with first-degree assault and first-offense driving under the influence.

The citation said there was drug involvement. Vanderpool told police she had taken prescribed Xanax and prescribed Neurontin.

An arraignment and preliminary hearing are scheduled for June 10.

An announcement about the graduation parade postponement said the event might be rescheduled.

Floyd Central’s graduation is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 3.

The injured student’s family could not immediately be reached for comment. His mother in a Facebook post Sunday morning thanked people for praying for “our sweet boy.”

“Please continue to pray for a complete healing,” she wrote. “He’s a fighter.”

On Tuesday night she said in a Facebook post that he was in critical condition.

GoFundMe account set up to help

The GoFundMe account said Landon was set to graduate from Floyd Central High School.

“Landon was accepted into the nursing program at UPike this fall semester and was excited about this new journey in life,” the account stated. “If you didn’t see Landon playing football for the Jaguars, you may have seen him working at Food City in Prestonsburg. Please donate to help Landon and his family get through this tragic time. Any support is deeply appreciated.”

An update on the account Tuesday night said:

“Landon continues to be in critical condition. Last night Landon suffered a stroke and began experiencing a high body temperature. His vitals were not stable, but he continues to fight. Please continue to pray for Landon and his family.”

This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 12:18 PM.