Two people were killed and several others injured after a school bus carrying children overturned in a multi-vehicle crash in central Florida on Monday morning.
The bus was heading to a high school with 39 people aboard, including 37 high school students, the driver and his 9-year-old daughter, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
One of the deceased was a 10th-grade girl travelling on the bus, while the other victim was in a Jeep involved in the collision.
According to reports, authorities said between five and seven trauma alerts were issued, with several people taken to hospitals, including one person in critical condition.
The crash was reported around 6:15 a.m. in Winter Haven. A preliminary review of video showed the bus travelling in its lane when a white Chevy Malibu crossed the centre line for an unknown reason and struck it. The bus then collided head-on with a silver Jeep. A fourth vehicle was also involved.
“It was a horrible crash,” Judd said. “It was a terrible, tragic morning.”
Some victims were airlifted, while others were transported by ambulances or private vehicles. Investigators are continuing to examine the crash, with more information expected at another press conference.
