In Florida, a tragic bus crash took the lives of eight Mexican workers and left many others injured. The incident has shocked and saddened communities as they come together to support those affected by this devastating event.
Florida Bus Crash Killed 8 Mexican Workers And Dozens Injured
A report states that Bryan Maclean Howard, 41, a Florida man accused of causing a bus accident that killed eight Mexican farmworkers and injured many others, admitted to consuming marijuana oil and prescription drugs the night before the tragic incident.
Howard faces eight charges of DUI manslaughter after his pickup truck collided with the bus transporting over 40 workers to a watermelon farm in Marion County.
Howard pleaded not guilty and is currently held without bail. Troopers noted that during an interview at a hospital after the crash, Howard exhibited bloodshot and watery eyes, along with slurred speech.
According to the affidavit obtained by news outlets, Howard informed an investigator that on Monday night, he had taken two anti-seizure drugs and medication for high blood pressure, as well as smoked marijuana oil.
8 Mexican migrant workers were killed and more than 40 others were injured in a severe bus crash in Florida on Tuesday morning.
Read the details on Mexico News Daily. #migrants #migrantworkers #Mexicanworkers #RIPhttps://t.co/Qn7LuwvoM3
— Mexico News Daily (@mexicond) May 15, 2024
He mentioned waking up approximately five hours later and driving to a methadone clinic for his daily medication due to a chipped vertebra. Additionally, he admitted to crashing his mother’s car into a tree a few days earlier while avoiding an animal.
Subsequently, Howard failed various sobriety tests and was arrested for DUI by the Florida Highway Patrol. Following the collision between Howard’s pickup truck and the bus, the bus veered off the road, crashing through two fences before overturning.
Officials stated that all eight individuals who tragically lost their lives were in the United States from Mexico on H-2A farmworker visas. As of Wednesday, dozens of others remained hospitalized due to injuries sustained in the accident.
Among the deceased, six have been identified as Evarado Ventura Hernández, 30; Cristian Salazar Villeda, 24; Alfredo Tovar Sánchez, 20; Isaías Miranda Pascal, 21; José Heriberto Fraga Acosta, 27; and Manuel Pérez Ríos, 46.
According to Marion County court records, Howard’s driving history includes at least three previous accidents and numerous traffic violations dating back to 2006. One incident involved a citation for crossing the center line of a roadway.
According to the records, his license has been suspended on at least three occasions, with the most recent suspension taking place in 2021 due to receiving too many citations within a single year.
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