Driver in pickup who collided in Florida bus crash that killed 8 arrested. Here's what we know
More than two dozen farm workers were injured and eight were killed in a fatal bus crash on West State Road 40 in Ocala, as of 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning.
The farm workers, who work for a private company, were reportedly on their way to a watermelon farm. The owner of the private company was also on the bus and had to be taken to the hospital following the crash.
The crash was determined to be a DUI case and one person has been arrested.
Here’s what we know about the fatal crash.
Did a school bus crash in Ocala today?
The bus that crashed was not a school bus, although according to live updates from the Ocala Star-Banner, the school district provided a bus to help transport the victims of the crash.
LIVE COVERAGE: 8 dead, 8 critically injured when bus carrying laborers crashes in west Marion County
Was there a fatal accident on Highway 40 in Ocala today?
Eight people died in a crash that occurred at around 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday, May 14. The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said State Road 40 will be temporarily closed between Southwest 180th Avenue Road and Southwest 140th Avenue, while first responders assess the crash.
"The bus was heading west on SR 40 and a brown Ford Ranger was eastbound on the same road. A witness told troopers that for some reason the Ranger moved into the westbound lane and the vehicles collided," The Ocala Star-Banner reported soon after the crash.
"The bus ran onto the south shoulder, struck a board fence and struck two trees. The bus then overturned, troopers said."
The driver of the 2001 Ranger, who FHP identified as Bryan Maclean Howard, 40. of Ocala, was arrested and charged with eight counts of DUI manslaughter. Mclean was hospitalized after the crash and the FHP said he was listed in critical condition.
An update from the Sheriff's Office indicated this section of the road will be closed for most of the day on Tuesday and a detour is in place. After 5:30 p.m., nine hours after the crash, the stretch of highway remained closed.
Fatal car accidents: Deadliest vehicle crashes in Marion County Florida
Did anyone die in the accident on State Road 40 in Ocala today?
The Florida Highway Patrol announced that eight people were killed in the crash and 10 more were seriously injured. At least 25 people had minor injuries.
The injured passengers were taken to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital.
Watch: See video and photos from the Florida bus crash that killed 8 people
How many people were on the bus that crashed in Ocala?
Florida Highway Patrol told WCJB that there were 53 passengers on the bus, of which 37 were transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Contributing reporting: Austin L. Miller, Ocala Star-Banner staff
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Fatal bus crash in Ocala: 8 die on State Road 40 Tuesday. What we know
