A school bus filled with children rolled over in a multi-vehicle crash Monday morning in central Florida, killing two and injuring dozens of others, according to authorities.
The bus was traveling to a high school and carrying 39 passengers, including 37 high schoolers, the bus driver and the driver’s 9-year-old daughter, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a press conference Monday morning.
Two people died in the crash, including a tenth-grade girl on the bus and the driver of a Jeep involved in the crash, Judd said.
The student was identified at a press conference on Tuesday as Adinaluz Prieto Oyola, 16, and the Jeep driver as Deshawn Smith, 26.
Five to seven trauma alerts were issued and 35 people went to the hospital, including one who was in critical condition Monday, according to Judd.
Officials said three individuals were still in the hospital receiving medical treatment as of Tuesday and are expected to be released.
The crash occurred in Winter Haven, Florida, and was reported at about 6:15 a.m. on Monday, according to authorities.
Video footage played at the press conference on Tuesday shows the school bus was driving in its lane when a white Chevy Malibu traveling the opposite direction drifted over the center line for unknown reasons, hitting the bus, Judd said. This caused the bus to crash into a silver Jeep head-on, he said.
Another vehicle was involved, bringing the total to four vehicles impacted by the crash, officials said.
Maria Jimenez, a 23-year-old nursing student, was driving the Chevy Malibu that crashed while on her way to work, Judd said Tuesday. Jimenez fully cooperated with authorities and told them she does not remember the crash, Judd said.
“It was a horrible crash,” Judd said. “It was a terrible, tragic morning.”
Emergency helicopters flew some victims to the hospital, while others left in ambulances or private vehicles, according to the sheriff’s office.
Video footage shows Jessica Dye, the bus driver, pinned against the seat inside the bus. Despite suffering injuries herself, Dye managed to release herself and immediately helped students to safety, officials said.
Judd said Dye had no realistic opportunity to regain control of the bus after being hit and was traveling in her lane under the speed limit at the time of the crash.
Smith, the driver of the Jeep, was also traveling under the speed limit on his way to work when his vehicle was hit, officials said.
Judd said no criminal charges are being filed at this time.
Three students from the bus were airlifted to the hospital, 22 students were driven by another bus to the hospital, four students were transported by their families to the hospital, and seven students plus the bus driver and his daughter were taken to the hospital by ambulance, according to Judd.
High schoolers called their families on their cell phones to notify them of the crash as officials worked after the incident to reunite students with their families, officials said.
Traffic homicide investigators responded at the scene on Monday.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Winter Haven Fire, Winter Haven Police, Haines City Police, Polk County Fire Rescue and Polk County Public Schools responded to the crash.
The investigation is ongoing as of Tuesday.
“It’s an incredibly tragic event that took place this morning,” Fred Heid, Polk County Public Schools superintendent, said on Monday. “We drill for this with our students intentionally so that they know how to evacuate a bus in the event of an accident, and we are very, very fortunate today that more students were not seriously injured, including the driver.”
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