Driver of truck in Florida bus crash that killed 8 farm workers charged with DUI manslaughter

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MARION COUNTY, Fla. -- The operator of a pickup motortruck progressive successful a Tuesday greeting clang that killed 8 workplace workers and near astatine slightest 40 radical injured successful north-central Florida has been charged with 8 counts of "Driving Under the Influence - manslaughter," according to a news release from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

The 2010 International Bus carrying "approximately 53 workplace workers" and a 2001 Ford Ranger sideswiped each different astir 6:35 a.m., astir 15 miles westbound of Ocala, the Florida Highway Patrol said successful a statement.

The Ford, "for chartless reasons, traveled toward the halfway line" earlier the vehicles struck each other, Lt. Patrick Riordan of the Florida Highway Patrol said during a quality league astatine the scene. The autobus past near the roadway, went done a obstruction and overturned.

Bryan Maclean Howard, the operator of the Ford Ranger, was arrested Tuesday afternoon, Dave Kerner, the enforcement manager of the road information department, said successful a statement. CNN has not yet been capable to find if Howard has an attorney.

Bryan Maclean Howard was arrested Tuesday day aft astatine slightest 8 were killed and 45 injured erstwhile his motortruck struck a autobus carrying workplace workers.

Eight radical are dormant portion 45 injured were taken to aesculapian facilities, including 8 successful captious condition, James Lucas with Marion County Fire Rescue said earlier successful the day.

"There's a precocious probability this whitethorn beryllium beyond 8 fatalities," Riordan said, noting immoderate of the injured, including the operator of the pickup truck, are successful "very superior condition."

"Identities of the deceased volition beryllium released pending adjacent of kin notification," Kerner said successful his statement. "Our sympathies and prayers are with the families of the deceased. Consistent with our duties, the Florida Highway Patrol volition behaviour some a thorough and exhaustive postulation clang and transgression investigation."

Footage captured by CNN affiliate WESH showed the autobus - which Riordan said was taking the workers to a workplace successful the country - lying connected its broadside successful a field, with archetypal responders' vehicles parked nearby, their lights flashing.

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods indicated authorities judge the autobus passengers were migrant workers, telling reporters, "We're a precise large cultivation county. So this clip of year, we ever person migrant workers that are successful our county, that are connected buses conscionable similar this."

In a quality league Tuesday evening, Juan Sabines, the Mexican consul successful Orlando, said the victims were each from Mexico and were successful the United States connected impermanent cultivation idiosyncratic visas.

"Please commune for these nationals," Sabines said. "We perceive a batch of atrocious things of the immigrants each the time, successful the reality, these radical (are) bully people. (They are) precise bully people, young people."

"They enactment successful this state conscionable for work, with (a) visa," helium added. "These (are) precise bully radical and present they mislaid the main enactment of their family."

"With regret, I corroborate the decease of 8 cultivation workers," said Mexico's Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Bárcena Tuesday successful a station successful Spanish connected X.

Bárcena said her country's consul "will supply each the enactment to our compatriots and their families."

Woods noted determination were challenges with connection barriers, but said bilingual sheriff's bureau unit and enactment unit were assisting successful the investigation.

The National Transportation Safety Board is monitoring the situation, it said, and the US Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration likewise said it was alert of the crash.

"Our sincere thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the assemblage arsenic FMCSA assesses presently disposable accusation successful enactment of authorities and section information officials," an bureau spokesperson said.

Westbound lanes connected Highway 40 volition beryllium closed "for astir of the day," the Marion County Sheriff's Office said connected its Facebook page, asking motorists to instrumentality alternate routes.

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