'My heart sank': Winter Haven officers honor 16-year-old killed in bus crash
Community mourns student, adult killed in school bus accident
Two Winter Haven police officers who responded to a deadly school bus crash Monday are honoring a 16-year-old student who was killed in the collision as the community mourns.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A Polk County school bus carrying 37 students, a driver and her 9-year-old child was hit after a white Chevy Malibu crossed the double yellow line, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators said the impact tore off a tire and forced the bus into oncoming traffic, where it struck a Jeep head-on.
The driver of the Jeep, 26-year-old Deshawn Smith, died at the scene. Adinaluz Prieto Oyola, a 10th-grade student at Winter Haven High School who was on the bus, also lost her life.
Smith was reportedly on his way to work Monday morning at the time of the crash.
Community honors victims
What they're saying:
"I felt it in my heart to come here and put some flowers here for her and her family," said Jesus Perez, a community service officer with the Winter Haven Police Department.
Fellow officer Gabriel Burgos, who also assisted at the scene, offered his thoughts and prayers to the family.
"When we heard the call, the first thing we did was just call sergeants just to make sure, ‘Hey, we want to help as best as we can,’" Burgos said. "As soon as we saw all the vehicles exiting the area, my heart sank. I told Perez as well, it was horrible."
What's next:
Deputies confirmed that the driver who caused the crash is cooperating with the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, community members continue to drop off flowers, balloons, and prayers at the site of the crash and outside the high school.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Winter Haven Police Department Community Service Officers Jesus Perez and Gabriel Burgos, who responded to the scene and spoke with FOX 35's Alexus Cleavenger, as well as from Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, who detailed the investigation during a press conference.