Eight people have lost their lives and a further 40 people hospitalized following a tragic bus crash in Florida.
The devastating collision occurred on Tuesday morning (May 14) in Florida after a bus collided with a pickup truck.
The crash occurred around 6:35AM on State Road 40 near Dunnellon, as detailed by Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Patrick Riordan in a press conference streamed by Fox affiliate WOFL.
"We had a 2010 International retired school bus that was traveling west on Stage Road 40 here in Marion County on the outskirts of Dunnellon. That vehicle was traveling west," Riordan told reporters.
"We had a 2001 Ford pickup, it was a Ranger model that was traveling east," Riordan continued. "That vehicle, for unknown reasons, traveled towards the center line, and the vehicles had a collision of a side swipe-type manner."
The impact caused the bus to veer off the roadway, crash through a fence, strike a tree, and overturn. "We have eight confirmed fatalities, and approximately 40 people have been transported to local area hospitals," said Lt. Riordan. "Some of those are also in very serious condition, so there's a high probability this may be beyond eight fatalities."
The 53 farmworkers involved were en route to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon when the accident occurred.
In response to the tragedy, the farm posted updates on Facebook, expressing condolences and announcing the closure of operations "out of respect to the losses and injuries endured early this morning."
They urged prayers for the families and loved ones affected by the accident.
Following the crash, the driver of the pickup truck, Bryan Maclean Howard, was arrested and charged with eight counts of Driving Under the Influence – Manslaughter, per a subsequent news release.
AP has reported that All eight individuals who tragically lost their lives were Mexican nationals in the United States on H-2A farmworker visas, according to officials.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador revealed on Wednesday morning (May 15) that among those involved in the accident, 44 were Mexican citizens. They had been hired by a Mexican American farmer to work on a watermelon farm under temporary or seasonal visas.
The Mexican government has also stated that six of the injured individuals involved in the crash were in serious condition, while three others remained in critical condition.
Lucas Benitez, the co-founder of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, has revealed the deceased farmworkers hailed from at least five different states in Mexico.
The Florida Highway Patrol have started a thorough investigation into the incident, extending sympathies to the families of the deceased.
"The identities of the deceased will be released pending next of kin notification," a statement from the Florida Highway Patrol confirmed.
Six of the dead have been identified as of this writing. They are 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.
A GoFundMe has been launched by the Farmworker Association of Florida in order to support the families of the deceased. At this time, the total stands at more than $66,000. " Farmworkers tend to be forgotten, but it's important not to forget farmworkers, especially during such difficult times," the fundraiser reads.
Our thoughts go out to anybody impacted by this tragedy.