Louisville woman sues JCPS superintendent and bus driver over 2023 accident

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – A woman involved in an accident involving a JCPS bus in September 2023 has filed a lawsuit against Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio and the school bus driver.

According to court documents, the accident occurred when Aaron Helton ran a red light in a school bus and collided with a car driven by Kimberly Petty. Petty suffered a broken neck, upper arm and left arm.

Because Helton has allegedly been previously convicted of a drug offense, the indictment accuses Pollio of failing to adequately care for children on JCPS buses because the company did not require its drivers to undergo statewide criminal background checks or drug tests after accidents that resulted in serious injuries.

The lawsuit alleges that without Pollio's failure to follow these policies, Helton would not have been able to drive a JCPS bus. “According to John McClure, the coordinator of the Jacob Bus Compound, '…had I known that morning that he had been convicted of a drug offense, he would not have driven a bus for me and would have been sent home.'”

JCPS officials did not comment on the pending litigation.

Read the full lawsuit below:

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