Two people, including a high school student, were killed and several others injured Monday morning when a Florida school bus was involved in a multi-vehicle crash in Polk County.
The collision involved the school bus and three other vehicles, sending multiple people to hospitals in the area. During a Monday news conference, authorities confirmed two fatalities and said one person remained in critical condition.
Police have not released the identity of the 10th-grade Winter Haven High School student who died. The other victim was inside a silver Jeep that collided with the school bus.
Authorities in Polk County, Florida, respond to a fatal crash involving a school bus on Monday, October 5, 2026. (WTVT)
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the crash happened at about 6:15 a.m. on a two-lane road. According to investigators, a white Chevy Malibu crossed the center line into oncoming traffic and struck the rear wheels of the school bus, tearing off one of its tires.
The impact sent the bus into the oncoming lane, where it crashed head-on into the Jeep.
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“It was a horrible crash,” Judd said at the news conference. “It was a terrible, tragic morning. We had a beautiful 10th grade girl lose her life.”
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd holds a press conference after a fatal crash involving a school bus on October 5, 2026. (WTVT)
The school bus was carrying 37 students, along with the driver and the driver’s 9-year-old daughter, when the crash occurred, police said.
Judd said between five and seven people were taken to local hospitals under “trauma alerts,” with one person in critical condition. The injured were transported by a combination of helicopters, ambulances and private vehicles, he said.
Authorities said the driver of the Chevy Malibu is cooperating with the investigation. The driver told police they were heading to work and has not been arrested.
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