Victims of Nelson County school bus crash consider agreement

BARDSTOWN, Kentucky – A school bus crash in Nelson County earlier this year has victims’ parents wondering how much prison time is just.

“In such situations, all victims should be communicated with before any settlements are made so that our opinion is heard about what should happen,” said Thomas Sauer, the father of a child who was present at the bus accident.

Sauer and other Nelson County parents are currently reviewing a plea agreement reached by 29-year-old Ricardo Gray, which police said would see him face one year in Nelson County jail and five years probation.

Prosecutor Terry Geoghegan said the sentence was in addition to a 10-year prison sentence he served in Jefferson County in three other cases.

“I don’t think they should be given a slap on the wrist and simply released after a year,” Sauer said.

The children were on their way home from Bloomfield Middle School last spring when Gray, who was driving a stolen truck during a police chase, collided with the school bus.

The Nelson County Sheriff's Office told WHAS11 in March that the truck was stolen from a Walmart gas station. Investigators said no children were injured in the crash, but Gray was taken to the hospital.

“As a father, I was pretty shocked that someone would steal a truck and drive it into a school bus full of children,” Sauer said.

Major Brandon Bryan told WHAS11 that the Nelson County Sheriff's Office believes the deal is unfair. The office informed the victims' families of the deal in a Sept. 9 letter.

“We received a letter from the Sheriff's Department informing us that the sentence for the defendant was less than we all expected,” Sauer said.

Geoghegan later confirmed on Facebook that Gray would spend a total of 11 years in prison under the agreement.

“He will get eleven years instead of the original one year that was communicated to us in the letter,” said Sauer.

Geoghegan described the confusion at the verdict as a “misunderstanding.”

The parents are still deciding whether the settlement is sufficient and will be in the courtroom in October when the verdict is announced.

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