TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Polk Car-Bus Crash Kills 2

ADVERTISEMENT

By KEITH MORELLI, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 8, 2008

BARTOW - Two people were killed when the car in which they were riding collided with a Polk County school bus Monday morning. No students on the bus were injured, authorities said.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers responded to the 7:38 a.m. wreck on Alturas Loop Road near Hurley Road.

The patrol's Web site said that the collision blocked the road.

Polk County sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers said the bus was northbound on Hurley Road and was turning onto Alturas Loop Road when a silver Buick Century, heading south on Alturas Loop, crossed into the path of the bus.

Rodgers said that the bus had the right of way.

There were five people in the Buick, she said. Two were killed and three were injured.

Killed were Maria Ramos-Lopez, 48, 310 Eloise Loop Road, Wahneta, and Marcos Adrian-Diaz, 21, whose address was unavailable. They were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

Driver Felipe Chavez, 21, 107 Ninth St. W., Wahneta, and Esperanda Gabriel, 42, 310 Eloise Loop Road, were treated at Bartow Regional Medical Center. Maria Chavez-Martinez, 23, of 107 Ninth St., W., Wahneta, the driver's sister, was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center and was listed in critical but stable condition, Rodgers said.

No charges were immediately filed.

Heather McClanahan, spokeswoman for Polk County Emergency Services, said that the two people who were killed rode on the right side of the car.

The students on the bus attend Roosevelt Academy, McLaughlin Middle School and Polk Avenue Elementary School, she said.

Polk County school transportation department officials said that the intersection is dangerous because there is no sign on Alturas Loop warning southbound drivers to yield to traffic merging from Hurley onto Alturas Loop.

None of the 13 people on the bus, including 11 students, the driver and an attendant, was injured, transportation officials said.

All were taken to school on another bus, they said.

Reporter Keith Morelli can be reached at (813) 259-7760 or

kmorelli@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT