DeShawn Smith Obituary, WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — DeShawn Smith, 26, died Monday morning after his Jeep was struck by a Winter Haven school bus during a chain-reaction crash on Lucerne Park Road, according to information shared by Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.
The crash happened at approximately 6:12 a.m. and involved a Winter Haven school bus, a white Chevrolet Malibu, a Jeep driven by Smith, and a Kia Forte. Authorities said the school bus was traveling within its lane and at an appropriate speed when the Malibu crossed the double yellow center line.
The Malibu, driven by 23-year-old Maria Mondragon Jimenez of Haines City, struck the rear tandem wheel of the school bus. The impact caused the bus to suddenly move across the roadway and into oncoming traffic, where it collided head-on with Smith’s Jeep.
Following the collision with the Jeep, the school bus overturned and landed in a ditch. Sheriff Judd said the entire sequence unfolded in approximately four seconds. Dash camera footage from the bus captured the crash as investigators worked to reconstruct what happened.
Smith was one of two people who died in the crash. Sixteen-year-old Adinaluz Prieto Oyola, a Winter Haven High School sophomore who was aboard the school bus, also lost her life. The bus was carrying 39 people, including 37 high school students, the driver and the driver’s 9-year-old daughter.
The crash sent 35 people to hospitals, with three still hospitalized as of Tuesday. Authorities said those hospitalized were expected to make full recoveries. A separate collision occurred when a Kia Forte struck the Malibu, leaving the Kia driver with minor injuries.
Investigators said Mondragon Jimenez remained at the scene and cooperated with deputies. Sheriff Judd said there was no indication she was speeding or impaired, and investigators determined she was not using her cellphone at the time of the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board was expected to assist with the investigation.
The circumstances surrounding the crash remain under investigation by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and other authorities. No additional criminal charges were expected at the time of the update, although Mondragon Jimenez could potentially face a citation for crossing the double yellow line. DeShawn Smith’s death leaves behind a life remembered in the aftermath of a tragic crash that also claimed the life of a young student. Condolences go to the families and loved ones affected