Lakeland police officers were dispatched to the 3900 block of Pipkin Road for a fatal traffic crash involving a school bus and a 15-year-old bicyclist earlier this month.
At the scene, officers located an unresponsive male who had been struck by a Schools of McKeel Academy school bus.
The Lakeland Police Department, Polk County Fire Rescue, and the Lakeland Fire Department all arrived to begin life-saving measures. The male was transported to Lakeland Regional Health where despite the best efforts of medical professionals, was pronounced deceased. It was learned that the bicyclist was a 15-year-old student who attended Central Florida Aerospace Academy.
According to law enforcement, based on the evidence at the scene, the school bus was traveling west on West Pipkin Road approaching Medulla Road when, at the same time, the bicyclist was attempting to make a left turn northbound onto Medulla Road from the eastbound left turn lane. The bicyclist crossed into the path of the school bus and was struck. The driver of the bus remained at the scene and was not injured.
There were eight passengers on the school bus who ranged in age from 8 to 11 who attended the South McKeel Academy and McKeel Academy Central. Neither the bus driver nor the passengers were injured.
The roadway was shut down for approximately four hours to process the scene for the ongoing investigation.
