Winter Haven, Fla. – A tragic multivehicle collision early Monday morning claimed two lives when a school bus transporting 39 passengers overturned onto its roof. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd confirmed that a 10th‑grade girl heading to Winter Haven High School and the driver of an oncoming Jeep were killed.
What happened
According to Sheriff Judd, the bus was traveling along a local road shortly after 6 a.m. when an oncoming car crossed the center line and struck the side of the bus near its rear wheels. The impact ripped a tire off the bus, causing it to roll onto its roof and then collide head‑on with an oncoming Jeep, which subsequently caught fire.
First responders worked for several hours to extract the injured, transport them to hospitals, and reunite students with their families. Five to seven people were taken to medical facilities with potentially traumatic injuries, and one person remained in critical condition.
Community response
Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid emphasized that students regularly practice drills for exiting a bus involved in an accident. “This event could have been far worse,” Heid said, noting the severe damage to the vehicle.
Justin Sharpless, chairman of the Polk County School Board, urged the community to rally around the grieving family and school staff. “There are really no words that can take away the pain of losing a young person,” he said.
Recent safety concerns
This crash follows a separate Polk County bus incident on Sept. 3 in Lakeland, where a bus without passengers was involved in a collision that resulted in non‑life‑threatening injuries. Both events have heightened awareness of bus safety protocols across the district.
Helicopter footage captured by WESH‑TV showed the bus’s front end mangled and one of its four rear tires missing as it lay on its roof in a ditch beside the road.
Looking ahead
County officials and school administrators plan to review the circumstances surrounding the crash and consider additional safety measures to protect students traveling to and from school. The community is encouraged to support the affected families and stay informed about upcoming safety drills.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
