Infant Among 5 Injured In Car Vs. Bus Crash In Lakeland

LAKELAND, FL — An 11-month-old baby was among five people hospitalized Friday morning when a car collided with a bus on a Lakeland street, according to authorities.

Lakeland police said the crash happened shortly after 6:40 a.m. in the 1600 block of Kathleen Road. According to a news release, a Citrus Connection bus was traveling south on Kathleen Road when it attempted to make a left-hand turn. As the bus turned, police said it was struck on the passenger side by a 2022 Hyundai sedan traveling north.

The driver of the Hyundai, a 20-year-old female, was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, police said. The car's backseat passenger, an 11-month-old infant, was taken to Lakeland Regional Health in critical condition and later airlifted to Tampa General Hospital.

According to police, the bus was carrying five passengers, three of whom were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the bus was uninjured, police said.

Kathleen Road was shut down for approximately four hours while authorities investigated the crash.