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.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.