Eight people are dead and 40 injured after a man under the influence collided his pick-up with an old school bus carrying migrant workers to a watermelon field in Dunnellon, officials say. The crash on the two-lane road happened at 6:35 a.m.
“At this point they collided in a side-swiping manner; after that the bus traveled off the road, went through a fence, struck a tree and overturned, “ said Lt. Patrick Riordan of the Florida Highway Patrol.
Riordan said nearly everyone on the bus was injured, eight of them critically.
Driver Bryan Maclean Howard, 41, was arrested on eight charges of DUI manslaughter.
Troopers said Howard drove the 2001 Ford Ranger across the center line, colliding with the farmworkers' bus.
The bus then crashed through a fence and into a tree before overturning. In addition to the eight killed, at least 40 were injured.
It is not immediately known if Howard has an attorney.
The farmworkers were working for Olvera Trucking and Harvesting based in Immokalee. It is not clear if the workers were still based out of Immokalee or if they had left base-camp in Southwest Florida for Northern Florida for its growing season. No one from Olvera answered the phone Tuesday afternoon.
Representatives of farmworker organizations spoke out about the crash.
"The Farmworker Association of Florida expresses profound sorrow and condolences following the devastating bus accident involving workers ... in Ocala," organization advocate Ernesto Ruiz said.
"Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones affected by this terrible event. This incident underscores the urgent need for enhanced worker protection and conditions of life to support worker communities worldwide. Too often, our workers face dangerous journeys in search of a better life, only to encounter danger and tragedy along the way."
Lucas Benitez, one of the founders of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a worker-based human-rights organization, issued the following:
"Yet another tragic accident took the lives and gravely injured dozens of farmworkers, the human beings who harvest our food. Our hearts go out to the workers and their families in this devastating time. The watermelon industry is a core part of the Immokalee community and the CIW in particular. We are shattered by the news."
Riordan of the highway patrol agreed the situation was difficult.
“While we are working on the scene we are also attempting to make next of kin notification. Next of kin is something FHP takes very seriously and we try we recognize the significance of this for the loss and that is something we are working on as we speak,” Riordan said.
The Marion County Fire Rescue Service said the National Transportation Safety Board is monitoring the situation.
Photos taken by the Ocala Star-Banner at the scene show the bus lying on its side with both its emergency rear door and top hatch open. The truck that hit it shows extensive damage to its driver’s side.
According to Department of Labor records obtained by WGCU, the Olvera recently applied for 43 H2-A workers to harvest watermelon at Cannon Farms this month. The H-2A program allows certain companies to bring workers into the United States for temporary agricultural jobs.
"We will be closed today out of respect to the losses and injuries endured early this morning in the accident that took place to the Olvera Trucking Harvesting Corp.," Cannon Farms announced on its Facebook page. "Please pray with us for the families and the loved ones involved in this tragic accident. We appreciate your understanding at this difficult time."
Cannon Farms describes itself as a family owned commercial farming operation that has farmed its land for more than 100 years, focusing now on peanuts and watermelons, which it sends to grocery stores across the U.S. and Canada.
According to the Associated Press, Florida farms employ more H-2A workers than any other state – about 50,000 a year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.