8 dead, at least 40 hurt after bus transporting farm workers overturns

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Credit: (CBS News) Aerial footage shows the aftermath of an accident involving a bus in Marion County, Florida, May 14, 2024.

At least eight people have been killed, and dozens of others have been hurt in a bus crash near Dunnellon after it was hit by a pickup truck.

Tuesday, just after 5 p.m., Florida Highway Patrol said they had arrested the driver of the Ford Ranger truck involved in the crash, Bryan MacLean Howard, for driving under the influence.

According to records from the Marion County Clerk of Courts, he has a long history of driving-related offenses.

Bryan MacLean Howard. CREDIT: Marion County Sheriff’s Office

The owner of the bus told WINK News that the bus was recently used to transport workers from Immokalee.

FHP said the bus was carrying farm workers in Central Florida before it rolled over, killing eight people and injuring at least another 40 passengers, Tuesday, around 6:35 a.m.

“This is the death you do not expect for your family members,” said Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods during a press conference. “My heart bleeds for them. My heart goes out to them.”

Authorities said the bus had 53 farm workers. Howard’s truck sideswiped it on State Road 40, just west of Southwest 148 Court, and it swerved off-road in Marion County, north of Orlando.

The bus crashed through a fence and ended up in a field. The workers were on their way to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon.

FHP continues investigating the crash. A spokesperson said the investigation could continue for months before they know what exactly happened.

“This will be a very long, lengthy and thorough investigation,” said Pat Riordan, PIO for the Florida Highway Patrol. “We do not get in a hurry to conclude what happened until we have all the facts, and with that, I can tell you that it’s gonna be probably six months at least before we conclude factually what transpired here today.”

According to a job order form, this job was advertised for H2A workers, which means they would have been foreign nationals.

The forms state they were hired to work at Cannon Farms and were housed in Gainesville.

The bus is owned by Olvera Trucking Harvesting Corp., which is based in Immokalee. It remains unknown when the bus left Immokalee.

No identifying information has been released on the 53 workers.

We know they were on their way to Cannon Farms, where they’d been harvesting watermelon when the tragic crash happened.

“Federal statistics show that vehicle crashes were the leading cause of job-related deaths among farmworkers in 2022, the latest year available. They accounted for 81 of 171 fatalities,” according to AP News.

If you have to travel to this part of Florida, seek an alternate route if possible. State Road 40 remains closed on Tuesday afternoon.

Howard has since been charged with eight counts of DUI manslaughter.

Stay tuned to WINKNews.com, WINK News App, streaming, and on-air for any new developments on this story.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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