SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — The driver of a school bus that crashed in a Publix parking lot on Friday morning has died.
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office said deputies arrived at the Publix at 1350 South Tamiami Trail around 9:07 a.m., along with representatives from Sarasota County Schools and the Florida Highway Patrol.
An investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol found that the bus was traveling south on U.S. 41, approaching the intersection of Blackburn Point Road, when its 59-year-old driver experienced a medical event.
The bus then left the road, traveled onto the grassy shoulder and into the Publix parking lot.
The bus struck a van, SUV and pickup truck before coming to a final rest. Both the van and SUV were unoccupied, while the pickup truck's driver, a 62-year-old man, was uninjured.
Officials said there were no children on the bus when the accident occurred, and there were no road closures.
The bus driver was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. FHP is still investigating the incident.
A Hardee County grandmother is on trial this week for leaving her 7-month-old granddaughter in a hot car where the baby died —the second grandchild to die under Tracey Nix's care. ABC Action News I-Team Reporter Kylie McGivern sat down with Kaila Nix just days ahead of her mother's trial for aggravated manslaughter.
