WINTER HAVEN, FL — A school bus carrying nearly 40 people overturned in central Florida on Monday morning after being struck by an oncoming car, killing a student and the driver of another vehicle, authorities said.
The crash happened as the bus was taking students to high school. Emergency crews responded quickly to the scene in Winter Haven, south of Orlando, after the bus flipped onto its roof during the multivehicle collision.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said 26 students were taken to a hospital. At least one person was in critical condition, according to the sheriff.
How the crash unfolded on the way to school
Authorities said the bus was hit by an oncoming car before it rolled over onto its roof. The collision involved multiple vehicles, and one of them caught fire in the aftermath.
The bus was transporting nearly 40 people when the wreck occurred early Monday. The force of the impact was severe enough to overturn the bus, bringing a major emergency response to the roadway.
Officials have not said what caused the oncoming car to strike the bus. The conditions leading up to the collision were not immediately detailed by authorities.
Emergency crews rushed students and victims from the scene
First responders poured into the crash site after the rollover, and rescue teams worked around the overturned bus and the damaged vehicles. Photographs from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office showed emergency personnel at the scene and a vehicle recovery crew righting the bus.
The response included hospital transports for dozens of students, with 26 sent for medical care. Authorities also said at least one person was in critical condition after the crash.
Because one of the vehicles caught fire, the scene required both rescue and recovery work. Officials did not immediately release a full breakdown of which injuries belonged to which occupants.
A fatal crash involving a student and another driver
Two people died in the collision, including a student on the bus and the driver of the other vehicle, authorities said. The deaths underscored the severity of a wreck that involved children heading to school.
The fatality involving the student made the crash especially devastating for families connected to the bus route. Polk County officials described the scene as a major emergency with multiple victims needing immediate attention.
No additional identities were released in the immediate aftermath. Authorities have not yet provided more details about the victims who died.
What officials said about the student count and injuries
Sheriff Judd said the bus was carrying nearly 40 people. Of those on board, 26 students were taken to a hospital after the rollover.
At least one person remained in critical condition, though officials did not specify whether that victim was on the bus or in another vehicle. The sheriff’s office continued to oversee the response at the crash scene.
The large number of students involved meant local emergency workers had to move quickly to assess injuries and separate those needing more serious treatment from those with less urgent needs.
Winter Haven scene drew a heavy law enforcement response
Winter Haven sits south of Orlando in Polk County, and the crash drew a significant presence from local authorities and emergency personnel. Members of the sheriff’s office were seen watching as recovery crews worked to upright the overturned bus.
Images released by the sheriff’s office showed the scene immediately after the fatal collision, including responders around the wreckage and the recovery operation. The photos documented the scale of the response on a roadway that was disrupted by the multivehicle crash.
Officials did not immediately say whether any other road closures or longer-term disruptions were expected after the bus was removed.
Questions that remain after the fatal rollover
Authorities have not yet publicly explained why the oncoming car struck the bus or what led to the multi-vehicle chain of events. Those unanswered questions will likely shape the next phase of the investigation.
For now, investigators are left with a deadly scene that left one student and another driver dead, dozens of students hospitalized, and at least one person in critical condition. The sheriff’s office has continued to provide the main updates as the response moves from rescue to investigation.
Additional details about the victims, the vehicles involved, and the exact sequence of the collision were not immediately available.