A 16-year-old girl was heading to school for what should have been an exciting morning when a devastating school bus crash suddenly changed everything.
Adinaluz Prieto Oyola, a 10th-grade student, was riding on a school bus on the morning of Oct. 5 when the vehicle became involved in a chain-reaction crash. She was among 37 students on the bus heading to school.
According to investigators, a Chevrolet Malibu crossed the center line and struck the school bus. The impact caused the bus to move into oncoming traffic, where it collided head-on with a Jeep. The bus eventually overturned into a ditch, while the Jeep caught fire.
Adinaluz was killed in the crash. The Jeep driver, 26-year-old Deshawn Smith, also died. Several other people were taken to hospitals, including students from the bus, although those who remained hospitalized were expected to recover.
What makes the tragedy even more heartbreaking is what Adinaluz had been looking forward to that day. It was supposed to be her first day of cheerleading practice, a milestone she had been excited about.
Her teachers and classmates remembered her as a loving, joyful and kind student who was deeply cared for by the school community. School officials said returning her belongings to her parents after the crash was one of the most difficult conversations they had ever faced.
Investigators are still working to determine why the other vehicle crossed into the bus's lane. Authorities have said there was no indication so far of criminal wrongdoing by the school bus driver.
The crash has left her family, classmates and teachers mourning a teenager whose life and dreams were cut short in a matter of seconds.
The tragedy happened in Winter Haven, Florida.