A multi-vehicle crash involving a school bus on Lucerne Park Road in Winter Haven remains under investigation. Authorities say the collision began when a Chevrolet Malibu crossed the center line and struck the bus.
What started Monday morning as reports of a major crash involving a school bus has turned into something much worse.
Two people are dead.
One of them was a 10th-grade girl riding on a Polk County school bus headed to Winter Haven High School. The other was a person inside a Jeep that became involved seconds later.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the crash happened around 6:15 a.m. on Lucerne Park Road in Winter Haven.
Investigators now believe a white Chevrolet Malibu traveling west crossed the center line for reasons that are still unknown and struck the rear tandem wheels of the eastbound school bus.
That first impact appears to have set everything else in motion.
According to the Sheriff's Office, the bus lost traction, one of its tires was ripped away, and the bus crossed into the westbound lanes.
It then hit a silver Jeep head-on.
The Jeep caught fire.
A fourth vehicle was also involved.
The WFLA report on the Winter Haven crash includes details released during a morning briefing with Sheriff Judd and Polk County school officials.
There Were 39 People on the School Bus
The bus was carrying 37 Winter Haven High School students.
Also aboard were the bus driver and the driver's 9-year-old daughter.
Sheriff Judd said the 10th-grade student died in the crash. The other person killed was inside the silver Jeep.
Between five and seven people were treated as trauma alerts and transported by ambulance, helicopter or private vehicle, according to authorities.
At least one person remained in critical condition after the crash.
Others were being treated or had already been released.
Students were taken to several hospitals, including Lakeland Regional Health, AdventHealth Heart of Florida in Haines City and Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando.
The injury numbers were still being sorted out Monday because patients had been taken to different hospitals.
Investigators say a Chevrolet Malibu crossed the center line and struck the school bus near its rear wheels, causing the bus to lose control, cross into the opposite lane and collide with a Jeep before overturning.
What Investigators Think Happened
The newest information gives a much clearer picture of the crash, although it still does not answer the biggest question.
Why did the Chevrolet Malibu cross the center line?
Authorities say the bus was traveling east on Lucerne Park Road while the Malibu was heading west.
Video reviewed by investigators appears to show the Malibu moving into the eastbound side of the road and striking the bus near its rear wheels.
Sheriff Judd described the effect as similar to a reverse PIT maneuver.
The impact caused the bus to lose control.
The bus moved into the westbound lane and hit the Jeep head-on before overturning.
The Jeep caught fire. Earlier reports suggested the school bus may have burned, but officials later clarified that it was the Jeep that caught fire.
Police have not said why the Malibu crossed over.
The driver was reportedly heading to work, remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators. No arrest had been announced as of Monday morning.
That part matters. Investigators have a preliminary sequence now, but they do not yet have the reason behind it.
This Is Now a Traffic Homicide Investigation
The Polk County Sheriff's Office Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating.
That means investigators will likely spend significant time working through the physical evidence, vehicle damage, roadway marks, video and electronic information from the vehicles.
With four vehicles involved, there is a lot to reconstruct.
The Malibu's movement before the first impact will obviously be important.
So will the speed of the vehicles, the angle of impact, the condition of the roadway, vehicle data and whatever investigators can learn from available video.
Witnesses may matter too.
A major crash does not always come down to one single piece of evidence. Sometimes the answer only becomes clear after several small pieces start lining up.
The Polk County Sheriff's Office is leading the crash investigation.
Our Florida car accident lawyer resource explains some of the evidence and insurance issues that can come up after a serious multi-vehicle collision.
Two people were killed and several others were injured in the multi-vehicle crash. Between five and seven people were treated as trauma alerts, according to authorities.
The School Bus Rolled Over With Students Inside
There is another part of this crash that is hard to ignore.
Thirty-seven high school students were riding that bus.
The collision caused the bus to leave its lane and overturn.
Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Fred Heid said students regularly practice emergency bus evacuations and credited that training with helping students get out after the crash.
Considering the damage and the number of people aboard, officials said they were fortunate more students were not seriously injured.
That does not make what happened any less awful.
A high school student did not make it to school Monday morning.
Another person died in the Jeep.
And several families spent the morning trying to find out which hospital their child or loved one had been taken to.
Why the Cause of the Malibu Crossing the Center Line Matters
There are dozens of reasons a vehicle can move into an opposing lane.
Distraction.
Fatigue.
A medical emergency.
Speed.
Mechanical trouble.
Poor visibility.
Impairment.
Something in the roadway.
Or something investigators have not found yet.
There is no responsible reason to pick one before the evidence does.
What caused the Malibu to cross the center line will likely become one of the most important questions in both the traffic homicide investigation and any civil claims that follow.
That investigation could include cellphone records, vehicle event data, surveillance footage, medical evidence and a mechanical inspection of the Malibu.
The driver's actions in the minutes before the crash may matter just as much as the final few seconds.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating the Winter Haven crash, including what caused the Chevrolet Malibu to cross the center line and strike the school bus.
Two Deaths Can Mean Two Separate Wrongful Death Claims
This crash took two lives in two different vehicles.
If investigators eventually determine that negligence caused the collision, the families of those who died may have separate claims under Florida's Wrongful Death Act.
Florida's Wrongful Death Act allows qualifying claims when a death is caused by a wrongful act or negligence. The personal representative brings the action for the benefit of eligible survivors and the estate.
But the damages and family relationships involved can be very different from one case to another.
The death of a child raises different issues than the death of an adult.
The person killed in the Jeep may have left behind a spouse, children, parents or other dependents. Authorities had not released that information Monday.
Our Florida wrongful death lawyer page explains how wrongful death claims work and who may have rights after a fatal crash.
Evidence From the Bus May Be Especially Important
School buses can carry evidence that passenger vehicles do not always have.
Depending on the equipment installed on this bus, investigators may have access to interior or exterior cameras, GPS information, maintenance records or other operational data.
The bus itself also needs to be preserved.
So do the Malibu, Jeep and fourth vehicle.
The physical damage can help investigators determine where each impact occurred and how the vehicles moved afterward.
This is one of those cases where photographs from television only show part of what happened.
The vehicles themselves may tell investigators much more.
More Than 100 First Responders Were Called to the Scene
Sheriff Judd said more than 100 first responders were involved in the emergency response.
That included law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and medical helicopters.
Families of the students were directed to The Rock Church, where they could reunite with their children.
Lucerne Park Road remained closed for hours while the Traffic Homicide Unit worked the scene.
The road closure stretched through the area near Old Lucerne Park Road and the Walmart Distribution Center.
This was not a routine crash investigation, and the size of the response reflected that.
Additional reporting from Spectrum Bay News 9 also confirmed that two people were killed, including a 10th-grade student.
There Is Still One Huge Question
We know much more than we did when this story first broke.
We know where the first impact happened.
We know which vehicle crossed the center line.
We know how the school bus ended up in the opposite lane.
And we know two people died.
What nobody has publicly explained yet is why the Malibu crossed that line.
That answer could change everything.
The driver has not been arrested and is cooperating with investigators. Until the Traffic Homicide Unit finishes more of its work, it would be irresponsible to go further than what investigators have actually established.
Polk County officials are expected to release more information as the investigation continues.
Armando Personal Injury Law handles serious car accident and wrongful death cases throughout Florida. When a crash involves several vehicles, catastrophic injuries or a death, preserving evidence early can make a significant difference in figuring out what actually happened.
For now, two families are dealing with something no traffic report can adequately describe.
And investigators still have work to do.
About the Author
Attorney Armando Edmiston is the founder of Armando Personal Injury Law in Tampa and St. Pete, Florida. A U.S. Marine veteran, Hillsborough County native, and ACS Forensic Lawyer-Scientist, he represents Floridians in serious personal injury and wrongful death cases.