Florida high schooler killed, 40 injured in school bus crash after wrong-way driver hit it: ‘Most horrific bus tragedy in decades’
MIAMI — A horror Florida school bus crash Monday morning killed a 10th-grader who was on her way to class — and sent five other people to the hospital, including one in critical condition.
The bus was headed Winter Haven High School about 6:15 a.m. when a Chevy Malibu going to other way crossed the center line and clipped the rear wear of the bus — causing it to career out of control and hit an oncoming Jeep, according to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
In total, two people were killed and “in excess” of 40 people were injured.
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Shocking images from the scene show the mangled school bus flipped over onto its roof.
“It was a horrible crash,” the sheriff told a press conference.
“We had a beautiful 10th grade girl lose her life. She was in the bus.
“There were a total of 39 people on the bus, 37 high school students, on their way to Winter Haven High School, the bus driver and the bus driver’s nine year old daughter.”
The sheriff added that emergency services had received “5 to 7 trauma alerts” who were taken to hospital in helicopters, ambulances and private vehicles.
The driver in the Jeep was the second person killed and a fourth vehicle was involved.
“I’ve done this job my entire adult life, and I think this is the most horrific bus tragedy we’ve had in decades, as far back as I can remember,” he said.
The sheriff said that, while the bus had not caught on fire, the Jeep that it had hit head on did go up in flames.
“If there’s a silver lining, the silver lining is, there wasn’t more fatalities than there were,” he said.
“But to have one fatality is one too many, and to have one fatality of a beautiful high school girl is just heartbreaking.”
Over 100 first responders showed up at the scene after the crash, the Superintendent Polk County Public Schools, Brent Heid, told the press conference.
The sheriff said the that investigation was in the preliminary stages and authorities expected to release more information on Tuesday.
