On Monday morning (October 5), a multiple-vehicle chain collision occurred in central Florida, United States, where a school bus overturned, resulting in two fatalities, including a high school student, and several others injured.
The incident took place around 6:15 a.m. in Winter Haven, Polk County, Florida.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office stated that a school bus carrying 39 individuals, including 37 high school students, a bus driver, and his 9-year-old daughter, was en route to a high school at the time of the accident.
Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County mentioned during a press conference on Monday morning that the school bus was traveling on a road in Winter Haven when a car coming from the opposite direction suddenly crossed the centerline, hitting the side of the school bus near the rear wheels, causing the bus to overturn and collide head-on with an oncoming Jeep, which subsequently caught fire.
The crash resulted in the death of a 10th-grade (sophomore) female student and one person inside the Jeep. The identities of the two victims have not been disclosed.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook that the school bus belonged to the Polk County Public Schools, with approximately 26 student passengers being transported to hospitals, including 3 students airlifted by helicopter.
Judd stated at the press conference that in the initial hours following the accident, rescue personnel were tirelessly working on transporting the injured to hospitals, verifying their identities, and arranging reunions between students and parents.
Among those taken to the hospital, 5 to 7 individuals may have suffered traumatic injuries, with one person still in critical condition as of early Monday.
Judd remarked, “To the best of my recollection, this is the most horrific school bus tragedy we have experienced in decades.”