WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (TNND) — Two people, including a 10th-grade girl, died and several others were injured Monday morning when a school bus overturned in a multi-vehicle crash.
The incident occurred shortly after 6 a.m. as the bus, carrying 37 students and two adults, was en route to Winter Haven High School. According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, a white Chevy Malibu crossed the center line and struck the bus near the rear wheels, causing the bus to collide head-on with a Jeep, which subsequently caught fire.
Witnesses reported that both the bus driver's daughter and the Jeep's driver were killed in the crash. Emergency responders transported five to seven individuals to local hospitals, with one person in critical condition.
Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid noted that students are trained in emergency evacuation procedures, stating, “This event could have been far worse,” as he addressed the bus's precarious position in a ditch.
Authorities confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and expect to provide additional details in a news conference scheduled for Tuesday. Lane closures were in effect following the incident as recovery efforts continued.