OCALA, Fla. – The Florida Highway Patrol has arrested the driving force of a pickup truck that crashed right into a farm employee bus early Tuesday, killing eight people, on charges of driving drunk – manslaughter.
Bryan Maclean Howard, 41, faces eight counts of involuntary manslaughter while drunk, the FHP said in a press release. No further details were released, including what substance allegedly affected Howard.
Troopers said he was driving a 2001 Ford Ranger when it swerved into the middle line on State Road 40, a straight but barely hilly two-lane road that runs through horse farms. The truck rammed the side of the bus, sending it off the road around 6:40 a.m. He crashed through a fence and right into a tree before tipping over. In addition to the eight dead, at the very least 40 were injured.
It was not immediately known whether Howard has an attorney and no phone numbers for members of the family might be found. According to state records, Howard has previous arrests for driving on a suspended license, leaving the scene of an accident and possession of marijuana.
The accident occurred in Marion County, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Orlando. The employees were on their option to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon, where watermelons were being harvested. The bus landed on its side, the windows were smashed and the emergency rear door and top hatch were open. The truck got here to a stop on the side of the road, the airbag exploded and there was significant damage to the driving force's side.
Federal statistics show that vehicle accidents were the leading explanation for occupational deaths amongst farm employees in 2022, essentially the most recent yr available. They accounted for 81 of 171 deaths. It was not immediately known whether the bus had seat belts.
Authorities in several states are pushing for stricter regulations to maintain farm employees, most of whom are migrants, secure. It is just not known whether all the employees on the bus were migrants. The Mexican consulate in Orlando said it was providing assistance to all employees from its country.
The Labor Department announced latest seat belt requirements for employer vehicles utilized by agricultural employees on temporary visas, amongst other employee protections that take effect June 28. The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association called the seat belt requirement “impractical.”
State law requires seat belts when transporting farm employees in smaller vehicles that weigh lower than 10,000 kilos.
“In consideration of the losses and injuries we sustained in the Olvera Trucking Harvesting Corp. accident this morning. “We will remain closed today,” Cannon Farms announced on its Facebook page. “Please join us in praying for the families and loved ones involved in this tragic accident. We thank you for your understanding during this difficult time.”
Cannon Farms describes itself as a family business that has been farming its land for greater than 100 years. The company now focuses on peanuts and watermelons, which it ships to grocery stores within the U.S. and Canada. It is about 13 kilometers from the crash site.
No one was answering the phone at Olvera Trucking on Tuesday afternoon. The company recently advertised for a short lived driver to take employees to the watermelon fields by bus after which operate the harvesting machines. The wage was $14.77 an hour.
A Labor Department document shows Olvera recently applied for 43 H-2A watermelon harvesting employees at Cannon Farms this month. The company again offered a base rate of $14.77 an hour and promised accommodation and transportation to and from the fields.
The H-2A program allows U.S. employers or agents who meet certain regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals into the country to fill temporary agricultural jobs. According to the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, Florida farms employ more H-2A employees than some other state, about 50,000 per yr.
The Guatemalan government initially claimed a few of its residents were involved within the crash, but recanted Tuesday evening, saying an accident report from the Chicago consulate had been confused with the Florida crash. Goldin López de Bonilla, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the Central American country was still waiting to learn whether any of its residents were involved within the crash in Florida.
Alicia Bárcena, Mexico's foreign minister, said on the social media platform
The Mexican consulate in Orlando was on site to supply support.
Andres Sequera, mission and pastoral care director for AdventHealth hospitals, told reporters that the injured employees who might be visited by chaplains were “in good spirits given what they have been through.”
“We have been able to provide support, presence and prayer when asked,” he said.
“Farm workers are often forgotten, but it is important not to forget them, especially during such difficult times,” the post said.
Two groups advocating for farm employees issued statements calling for tougher laws to guard them from harm.
“It's too easy to dismiss this as another accident,” said Asia Clermont, Florida director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. “Florida must take every step possible to protect its essential workforce, who are people and the backbone of the state’s economy.”
Ty Joplin of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers said farmworker transportation laws are sometimes not enforced.
“Although accidents will occur, protecting transportation workers through mandatory and enforceable safety regulations such as seat belts and safety inspections can reduce the number of injuries and deaths,” he said.
Spencer reported from Fort Lauderdale. Associated Press author Sonia Pérez D. in Guatemala City contributed.
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