A quiet Monday morning drive to school turned into a tragedy on State Road 544 when a westbound Chevrolet Malibu crossed the double yellow line and struck a Polk County school bus just after 6 a.m. The impact pushed the bus into oncoming traffic, where it hit a Jeep head-on. The Jeep’s driver, 26-year-old Deshawn Smith, and a Winter Haven High School tenth grader, 16-year-old Adina Luz Prieto Oyola, were both killed. Thirty-seven students were on the bus that morning, along with driver Jessica Dye and her 9-year-old daughter, and 35 people were taken to hospitals.
Sheriff Grady Judd said the bus was traveling 54 mph in a 55-mph zone and that Dye was not at fault. The Malibu’s driver, 23-year-old Maria Jimenez, was treated and released and is cooperating with investigators; blood test results are still pending. As of Tuesday, three people from the bus remained hospitalized and were expected to recover, while Winter Haven High School began the difficult work of supporting students and staff through the loss of a classmate.
This crash is raising hard questions for families across Polk County about road safety and what happens in the seconds before a collision. A school bus is built to protect the kids inside it, and it still took just one crossed line to change lives forever. So we want to hear from you: how are you talking with your kids about this, and what do you think needs to change on our roads? Tell us on our Facebook page.
