Authorities reported that at least eight people were killed and eight others critically injured when a bus carrying dozens of farm workers crashed and overturned in Florida on Tuesday morning.
The bus, which was traveling west on State Route 40 toward a watermelon farm, was carrying 53 laborers. A Ford Ranger traveling in the opposite direction veered into the westbound lane, according to a witness. The vehicles sideswiped each other, causing the bus to run off the road, hit a fence and two trees, and then overturn, as stated by the Florida Highway Patrol.
In addition to the eight fatalities and eight critical injuries, another ten passengers sustained serious injuries, and at least 25 others had minor injuries. Approximately 40 people were transported to hospitals, with the highway patrol warning that the death toll could rise due to the critical conditions of some bus occupants.
The pickup driver, Bryan Maclean Howard, was arrested at the hospital on eight counts of DUI-manslaughter, according to the state highway patrol. Marion County records show Howard, 40, had a history of traffic-related offenses and convictions, including driving without a seatbelt, driving with a suspended or expired license, running red lights, careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, possessing drug paraphernalia, and grand theft.
Sheriff Billy Woods expressed his condolences, describing the passengers as hardworking individuals and calling the crash a tragedy. “My heart goes out to them,” Woods said. He noted that his agency is assisting investigators, particularly with Spanish language translation, and that officials are working to notify the victims’ families.
Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Bárcena confirmed that at least some of the workers were Mexican nationals. The laborers, employed by a private company, were en route to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon, about 20 miles from Ocala, when the crash occurred around 6:35 a.m. The bus was a 2010 International Bus, according to the highway patrol.
The incident led to a temporary shutdown of part of a highway in Marion County, as announced by the sheriff’s office on social media.
Transportation accidents are the leading cause of death for farmworkers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Such accidents, including roadway crashes and tractor overturns, were the top cause of fatalities among farmworkers in 2021.
The crash on Tuesday is the latest in a series of deadly incidents involving farmworkers. In February, eight farmworkers were killed in California when a van collided with a pickup truck, with only two passengers in the van wearing seatbelts. In July 2016, a bus crash in Florida involving migrant farmworkers resulted in four deaths. Federal investigators cited gaps in safety regulations, noting that the bus driver had likely been fatigued from picking crops.
In response to Tuesday’s crash, the League of United Latin American Citizens called on Florida to improve safety protections for farmworkers. “These individuals put the food on our tables and sustain both the state and the country. It’s too easy to dismiss this as just another accident. Florida must take every possible step to protect its essential workers, who are human beings and the backbone of the state’s economy,” stated LULAC President Domingo Garcia.
Julie Taylor, executive director of the National Farm Worker Ministry, expressed concern over the impact of work-related accidents on farmworkers and their families. She noted that many farmworkers lack health insurance, and their families can be left without income when they are unable to work due to injuries.
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