On the evening of March 25, the Sebring High School set out on a trip to Daytona Beach for “Project Graduation.” The attendees were driven in two Holiday Coach Lines shuttle buses. One of the parents was going on the trip and was traveling along with the buses but riding in their own vehicle.
It was reported that one of the buses was driven by a 55-year-old man, and he had approximately 30 graduating seniors and four chaperones on board. Six of the passengers were underage. They began the journey at approximately 6:30 PM, and before long, the riders started wondering if there was something wrong with the driver.