The Florida truck driver who crashed into a bus, leaving 45 migrant workers injured and eight dead, said he mixed marijuana oil and medication before getting behind the wheel.
Bryan Maclean Howard, 41, was arrested Tuesday on eight counts of driving under the influence and manslaughter after crashing into a bus in Dunnellon, Marion County, around 6:30 a.m.
The bus was carrying 53 workers to a watermelon farm, which authorities confirmed was canyon farmswhen he collided with the Ford Ranger truck.
The incident caused the bus to fly off the road and through a fence where it overturned, killing eight passengers and injuring 45 others.
Howard pleaded not guilty to DUI manslaughter and remained jailed without bond as of Wednesday.
Bryan Maclean Howard, 41, was arrested Tuesday after crashing into a bus, injuring and killing migrant workers. He told police Wednesday that he mixed marijuana oil and medications before driving.
The incident caused the bus to go off the road and through a fence where it overturned, killing eight passengers and injuring 45 others.
According to Howard’s arrest report, cops say his eyes were bloodshot and watery and his speech was slurred after the crash, which he said he didn’t remember.
He told a Florida Highway Patrol investigator that a few days earlier he had crashed his mother’s car into a tree while avoiding an animal.
Howard also said that on Monday night he had taken two anti-seizure medications and high blood pressure medication, in addition to smoking marijuana oil.
He said he woke up about five hours later and was headed to a methadone clinic where he receives daily medication for a chipped vertebra, according to the affidavit.
It’s unclear exactly what medication he took, but Howard failed several field sobriety tests before being arrested.
Responding to a judge via teleconference from jail on Wednesday, he said he is a self-employed painter and drywaller with $700 in the bank.
Howard’s head was bandaged and he was wearing a protective gown normally given to inmates on suicide watch.
On Wednesday morning, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said the 44 Mexican farmworkers traveling on the bus were hired by a Mexican-American farmer to work on the watermelon farm on H-2A visas.
Florida farms use about 50,000 H-2A workers each year, more than any other state, according to the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association.
According to Howard’s arrest report, cops say his eyes were bloodshot and watery and his speech was slurred after the crash, which he said he didn’t remember. (pictured: the truck Howard was driving)
Howard also said that on Monday night he had taken two anti-seizure medications and high blood pressure medication, in addition to smoking marijuana oil. (In the photo: the bus is seen overturned on the grass after the accident)
Crews from Marion County Fire Rescue and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office are assisting victims of the horrific crash Tuesday morning.
Evarado Ventura Hernández, 30 years old, Cristian Salazar Villeda, 24 years old, Alfredo Tovar Sánchez, 20 years old, Isaías Miranda Pascal, 21 years old, José Heriberto Fraga Acosta, 27 years old, and Manuel Pérez Ríos, 46 years old, There are six of the eight workers who died.
Andrés Sequera, director of mission and ministry for AdventHealth hospitals, said chaplains were visiting injured workers and “they were in good spirits because of what they had been through.”
“We were able to provide support, presence and prayer when asked,” Sequera said.
FLHSMV CEO Dave Kerner said: ‘The initial investigation reveals that the two vehicles made contact in a side collision.
“After the collision, the bus left the road, went through a fence and then overturned. Currently, eight people have been confirmed dead and approximately 40 people have been transported to local medical facilities.
‘The identities of the deceased will be released pending notification of next of kin. Our condolences and prayers are with the families of the deceased.
“Consistent with our duties, the Florida Highway Patrol will conduct a thorough and thorough criminal and traffic accident investigation.”
Cannon Farms, a family-owned business that ships melons to supermarkets across the United States and Canada, said it would remain closed until Wednesday.
“Thank you to everyone who reached out and offered condolences, help and prayers for those injured in the accident,” Cannon Farms said in a Facebook post.
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, are six of the eight workers who died in the accident.
Authorities said the bus was traveling to Cannon Farms, about 15 miles from the crash site.
Florida officials closed sections of State Road 40 West while they deal with the fatal crash.
The company said the bus was operated by Olvera Trucking Harvesting Corp.
A Department of Labor document shows Olvera also requested that 43 H-2A workers harvest watermelons at Cannon Farms this month, again at a base rate of $14.77 an hour, with promises of housing and transportation to and from the fields.
It was not immediately known if Olvera’s vehicle, which the highway patrol described as a “retired” school bus, had seat belts.
Marion County court records revealed that Howard has had at least three accidents and numerous traffic tickets dating back to 2006, including a citation for crossing the center line.
His license has been suspended at least three times, most recently in 2021 for receiving too many citations in one year.
In 2013, he was convicted of grand larceny and a year later, his probation was revoked after he tested positive for cocaine.
The judge denied bail, appointed a public defender and set his next court appearance for next month.