Adinaluz Guadalupe Prieto Oyola Obituary, WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Adinaluz Guadalupe Prieto Oyola, 16, a sophomore at Winter Haven High School, died Monday morning in a school bus crash in Polk County, Florida.
The crash happened shortly before 6:15 a.m. on Lucerne Park Road, west of Jacaranda Avenue and near the Brookhaven Village community on the northeast side of Winter Haven. Adinaluz, affectionately known as Adina by family and friends, was among the students aboard the school bus traveling to school.
According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, 39 people were aboard school bus No. 1819, including 37 students, the driver and the driver’s 9-year-old daughter. Investigators said the bus was traveling eastbound at approximately 6:13 a.m. when a westbound white Chevrolet Malibu crossed the center line and entered the bus’s lane.
Sheriff Judd said the Malibu clipped the rear tires of the school bus, triggering a chain reaction. The bus then crossed into the westbound lanes and collided head-on with a silver Jeep. The school bus overturned, while the Jeep caught fire. Adinaluz and the driver of the Jeep were killed in the crash.
Adinaluz’s family described her as a loving and joyful teenager who enjoyed helping others and had many dreams for her future. According to information shared by her family, she had been especially excited about trying out for Winter Haven High School’s cheerleading team on the day of the crash.
The crash brought a major emergency response, with injured students and others taken to area hospitals by medical helicopters, ambulances and private vehicles. Officials reported approximately five to seven trauma alerts. BayCare said Winter Haven Hospital received 22 patients, including 19 children and three adults. Thirteen had been treated and released, while others remained under evaluation. At approximately 10 a.m. Monday, Sheriff Judd said one person remained in critical condition.
The tragedy deeply affected the Winter Haven High School community, including classmates, teachers and staff. Polk County School Board Chair Justin Sharpless spoke about the loss during a news conference at the crash scene, saying there were no words that could take away the pain of losing a young person.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit continues to investigate the crash. Sheriff Judd said the Chevrolet driver was cooperating with investigators, and no arrests had been announced at the time of the report. As Adinaluz’s family, friends and school community mourn her loss, she is remembered as a 16-year-old student whose kindness, joy and dreams left a lasting impression on those who knew her. Her memory will continue to be honored by the people whose lives she touched.