2 Dead, Including Student, In School Bus Crash: Polk County Sheriff

WINTER HAVEN, FL — Two people were killed, including a 10th-grade student, on Monday morning when a Winter Haven High School bus was involved in a three-vehicle crash on Lucerne Park Road, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

The crash happened at about 6:15 a.m. on Lucerne Park Road (State Road 544), about one-and-a-half miles west of U.S. 27 near the Brookhaven Village community.

The bus was carrying 39 people — 37 Winter Haven High School students, the bus driver and the driver's 9-year-old daughter — at the time of the crash, Sheriff Grady Judd said during a Monday morning news conference. (Watch the full news conference below.)

The school bus was traveling east in its lane when a white Chevrolet Malibu traveling westbound crossed the center line for unknown reasons and struck the bus, Judd said.

The impact caused the bus to lose traction and cross into the westbound lanes, where it collided head-on with a silver Jeep.

The crash killed one student on the bus and the Jeep’s driver, the sheriff said.

Judd called the crash “heartbreaking” and “horrible,” adding, “It was a terrible, tragic morning. We had a beautiful 10th-grade girl lose her life.”

Several other students were seriously injured and taken to area hospitals. There were approximately five to seven trauma alerts, with patients transported by helicopters, ambulances and private vehicles, Judd said.

One person remained in critical condition at the time of the news conference, while others were being treated and some were expected to be released. The bus driver was also among those evaluated following the crash.

Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Fred Heid said school staff worked to reunite students with their parents after the crash.

"There's nothing traditional about this having to send students to multiple hospitals," he said.

Heid said the district regularly drills with students on how to evacuate a school bus in the event of an accident and credited those preparations, along with the response of more than 100 first responders, with helping prevent further loss of life.

"We are very, very fortunate today that more students were not seriously injured, including the driver," Heid said.

The crash prompted a major emergency response involving the PCSO, Winter Haven Police Department, Winter Haven Fire Department, Polk County Fire Rescue and other agencies.

A reunification site was established at The Rock Church for parents and students.

The investigation by the sheriff's office Traffic Homicide Unit remains ongoing.

The driver of the Chevrolet Malibu wasn’t arrested and was cooperating with investigators at the time of the news conference, Judd said.

Lucerne Park Road is expected to remain closed for several more hours as investigators processed the crash scene.

Winter Haven High School remained open Monday, although many students involved in the crash were absent while receiving medical care or being reunited with their families.

School Board Chair Justin Sharpless asked the community to support the student's family, friends, classmates and school staff as they mourn the loss.

"There's really no words that can take away the pain of losing a young person," he said.

Watch the full news conference:

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