With profound sadness, the Winter Haven community is mourning the heartbreaking loss of Adinaluz Guadalupe Prieto Oyola, 16, lovingly known as Adina, whose young life was tragically cut short Monday morning, October 5, in a devastating school bus crash in Winter Haven, Florida.
Adina was a sophomore at Winter Haven High School, remembered by her family as a loving and joyful young girl who cared deeply for others and was always willing to lend a helping hand. She had dreams for her future, plans she was excited about and a life filled with possibilities still waiting to unfold.
Among those plans was something she had been looking forward to that very day: trying out for cheerleading. Instead of taking another step toward a dream, Adina’s family and friends were left facing an unimaginable loss.
The crash happened shortly after 6 a.m. on Lucerne Park Road near Jacaranda Avenue. According to Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, an oncoming Chevrolet Malibu crossed the center line and struck the rear portion of a school bus carrying students to Winter Haven High School. The impact sent the bus into the opposite lane, where it collided head-on with a Jeep. The bus overturned, while the Jeep caught fire.
The school bus was carrying approximately 39 people — 37 students, the driver and the driver’s 9-year-old daughter. Adina was among the students aboard the bus and was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced deceased. The driver of the Jeep also died in the crash. Several others were injured, with authorities reporting multiple trauma cases and at least one person in critical condition.
For Adina’s family, the pain of losing a 16-year-old daughter is beyond words. A young life filled with promise, laughter, kindness, and dreams has suddenly become a collection of memories that her loved ones will carry for the rest of their lives.
At an age when there should have been countless more school days, friendships, celebrations, and milestones ahead, Adina’s journey was brought to an unimaginable end. The cheerleading tryout she had been excited about, the experiences she should have shared with her classmates, and the future she was beginning to imagine are now painful reminders of how suddenly life can change.
But Adina’s life will not be defined by the crash that took her away.
She will be remembered for her loving heart, joyful spirit, kindness, and willingness to care for others. She was a daughter, a friend, a student, and a young woman whose presence brought meaning to the lives around her.
For those who loved Adina, the road forward will be difficult. There will be moments when her absence is felt most deeply—in the school halls she should have continued walking, among friends who expected to see her, and in the everyday moments that will never be the same without her.
Yet the memories she created remain.
Her laughter, her kindness, her dreams, and the love she gave to others will continue to live in the hearts of the people who knew her. Though her life was far too short, the impact of those 16 years cannot be measured simply by time.
May Adinaluz “Adina” Guadalupe Prieto Oyola be remembered with love and compassion—not only for the tragedy that ended her life, but for the beautiful young person she was.
May her family, friends, classmates and everyone who loved her find strength in one another during this heartbreaking time.
Rest peacefully, Adina. You were taken far too soon, but you will never be forgotten.
