Eight people were killed and dozens injured after a bus carrying migrant workers to a local farm crashed in Florida early Tuesday.
The crash happened around 6.30am in west Marion county, Florida, according to the Florida highway patrol, WCJB reported.
The accident involved a 2010 International bus transporting workers and a 2001 Ford Ranger truck, NBC News reported. The two vehicles “sideswiped” each other, causing the bus to swerve off a local highway, drive through a fence and flip over.
The driver of the Ford Ranger truck, Bryan Maclean Howard, 41, was arrested and charged with eight counts of driving-under-the-influence manslaughter, according to the Florida highway patrol. No further details were released, including which substance allegedly left Howard impaired.
About 53 people described as “migrant workers” were onboard the bus at the time of the crash, according to Florida highway patrol. They were reportedly being taken to a local watermelon farm to work for a private company at the time of the accident, the Ocala StarBanner reported.
There was no company name listed on the side of the bus involved in the deadly accident, the StarBanner also reported.
The owner of the private company was reportedly on the bus at the time of the crash. They were taken to a local hospital following the accident.
At least eight people were critically injured from the accident. An additional 37 people were also transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, WCJB reported.
Cannon Farms, in Dunnellon, Florida, said it would be temporarily closed following Tuesday’s accident, according to a Facebook post.
“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. Please pray with us for the families and the loved ones involved in this tragic accident,” a representative of the farm posted to social media.
It’s unclear if the workers involved in the crash were being transported to that farm.
A representative of the Olvera Trucking Corp could not be reached by the Guardian.
Authorities have since closed a portion of Florida’s State Road 40 West following the deadly crash.
Florida highway patrol is investigating the crash, according to the Marion county sheriff’s office.
