Insurance company asks judge to allocate $11K after Polk County school bus crash

An insurance company has asked a Polk County judge to decide how to distribute $11,000 in insurance money following a deadly school bus crash in early October, Tampa Bay 28 reported.

The crash occurred on October 5 on Lucerne Park Road in Winter Haven and involved a Polk County school bus carrying 39 passengers, including 38 minors, and three other vehicles: a Chevrolet Malibu, a Jeep Compass, and a Kia Forte.

The collision killed a 10th-grade Winter Haven High School student and the driver of the Jeep, while dozens of passengers were hospitalized, according to court documents cited by Tampa Bay 28 and WFLA 8.

The insurance company, United Automobile Insurance Company, filed a complaint for interpleader on October 27, naming the Polk County School Board, the bus driver, other motorists, and passengers as defendants, as reported by Tampa Bay 28.

The crash reportedly happened when a westbound Chevrolet Malibu crossed the center line and struck the rear wheels of the eastbound school bus, which then overturned into a ditch after colliding with the Jeep. Investigators found no signs of impairment or cellphone use by the Malibu driver at the time of the crash.

The insurance policy covering the Malibu provides $11,000 in property damage liability coverage per accident, but multiple parties have competing claims for this limited coverage, prompting the insurer to seek judicial determination on the allocation of funds.