Fatal School Bus Accident in Winter Haven on Lucerne Park Road, Reported October 06, 2026

Jeep driver DeShawn Smith, 26, and school bus passenger Adinaluz Prieto Oyola, a 10th-grade student, died in a four-vehicle crash on Lucerne Park Road in Winter Haven, Florida, at approximately 6:12 a.m. Monday. Thirty-five people were taken to hospitals for treatment. According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, a Chevrolet Malibu traveling in the opposite direction crossed the double yellow line and struck the school bus’s rear tandem wheel, tearing off a tire. Judd said the bus had been traveling within its lane at a proper speed before the impact. Authorities described bus dashcam footage showing the bus veer into oncoming traffic after the initial collision and strike Smith’s Jeep head-on. The bus then overturned into a ditch. A Kia Forte also rear-ended the Malibu after it struck the bus. The Kia driver suffered minor injuries. The bus carried 39 people, including 37 high school students. As of Tuesday, three of those taken to hospitals remained hospitalized. Authorities said they were expected to make a full recovery. The supplied account did not provide further details about their injuries. The Malibu driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, Judd said. He reported that she had been traveling below the speed limit and that there was no evidence of impairment. Deputies also determined that she was not using her cellphone when the crash occurred. She told investigators she could not remember what happened. Local authorities continued investigating the collision, and National Transportation Safety Board investigators were expected to arrive Tuesday to assist in determining its cause. Judd said he did not expect criminal charges against the Malibu driver at that stage, although a citation for crossing the double yellow line remained possible.