By Sgt. Jack Nash
PIO OCSO
OCSO Concludes School Bus and Passenger Vehicle Crash on Highway 70 West
In the early morning hours of Monday, October 6, 2025, emergency crews were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash near the intersection of NW 128th Avenue and Highway 70 West involving an Okeechobee County School District bus (Bus #2) and a small passenger car.
Deputies with the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office, along with Okeechobee County Fire Rescue and EMS, arrived on scene and immediately began providing aid to those involved. A total of eight students and the bus driver were transported to a local hospital for non-life-threatening and precautionary evaluations.
The investigation, led by Traffic Homicide Investigator Corporal Adrian Rogers, determined through on-scene evidence that the passenger vehicle had crossed into the direct lane of travel of the school bus. Once the bus’s video footage was downloaded, it confirmed Corporal Rogers’ initial findings — that the passenger vehicle crossed over the center line by several feet into the school bus’s lane. The bus driver took evasive action to avoid a direct head-on collision; however, the passenger vehicle continued into the lane, striking the bus and causing the crash.
Corporal Rogers, who has been deemed an expert in the field of traffic crash reconstruction by the courts, conducted a thorough on-scene investigation supported by video evidence that further substantiated his findings. This case is now considered closed.
The Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office is aware of speculation and misinformation circulating within the community regarding fault and driver actions. To be clear, the investigation has confirmed—without doubt—that the passenger vehicle crossed into the bus’s lane, and the school bus driver acted swiftly and appropriately to protect the students on board and avoid a more serious collision.
The following two sequenced images—taken from the school bus’s internal camera one and two seconds before impact—show the passenger vehicle clearly within the lane of travel of Okeechobee County School Bus #2.
We commend the quick response and professionalism of our deputies, emergency medical personnel, and school district staff during this incident.
