Tragic Collision in Florida Claims Lives of Mexican Farmworkers

OCALA, Fla. (AP) — A man with a history of dangerous driving told investigators he had smoked marijuana oil and taken prescription drugs hours before sideswiping a bus, leading to a tragic accident that killed eight Mexican farmworkers and injured dozens more, according to an arrest report unsealed Wednesday.

Bryan Maclean Howard, 41, pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence-manslaughter and remained jailed without bond for Tuesday’s crash. The Florida Highway Patrol stated that he drove his 2001 Ford pickup into the center line on a two-lane road, striking the bus and causing it to veer off the road, hit a tree, and flip over.

The Victims and Their Journey

The seasonal farmworkers were en route early in the morning to harvest watermelon at Cannon Farms in Dunnellon, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) northwest of Orlando in north-central Florida’s Marion County, a rural area known for its horse farms and abundant fruit and vegetable fields.

The Mexican consulate in Orlando is supporting the victims and has been meeting with some of them at a hotel in Gainesville. Many were taken to AdventHealth Ocala hospital.

Juan Sabines, the Mexican consul in Orlando, told Spanish language news media that seven workers, three of whom were in critical condition, remained hospitalized as of Wednesday afternoon. The families of the eight workers who were killed in the crash have been contacted.

Sabines also mentioned that inspectors from the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor were performing inspections at the work site. He encouraged workers to contact the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) with anonymous tips if they had concerns about their employer. The Department of Labor did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Sabines said he spoke with the 44-year-old bus driver, also a Mexican national with a visa. “What he needs the most immediately is help with his mental health,” Sabines said.

Details of the Accident

In the pickup truck driver's arrest report, state troopers noted that Howard had bloodshot and watery eyes and slurred speech after the crash, which he claimed he did not remember. He told an investigator that he had crashed his mother’s car into a tree a few days earlier while avoiding an animal and that on Monday night he had taken two anti-seizure drugs and medication for high blood pressure in addition to smoking marijuana oil. He said he woke up about five hours later and was driving to a methadone clinic where he receives daily medication for a chipped vertebra, according to the affidavit.

Howard failed several sobriety tests and was arrested, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Legal Proceedings and Howard’s Background

Responding to a judge by teleconference from jail on Wednesday, Howard stated that he is a self-employed painter and drywall installer with $700 in the bank, no other assets, and no dependents. Howard’s head was bandaged, and he wore a protective gown typically given to inmates on suicide watch. The judge denied bond, appointed a public defender, and set his next court appearance for next month.

Marion County court records show that Howard has had at least three crashes and numerous traffic tickets dating back to 2006, including one citation for crossing the center line. His license has been suspended at least three times, the latest in 2021 for receiving too many citations within a year. In 2013, he was convicted of grand theft, and a year later, his probation was revoked after he tested positive for cocaine.

Responses from Mexico and the Farmworker Community

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated that 44 Mexican farmworkers were on the bus, hired by a Mexican American farmer to work on the watermelon farm under H-2A visas. Florida farms employ about 50,000 H-2A workers each year, more than any other state, according to the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association.

Six of the deceased have been identified: 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.

Jose Ventura, speaking to Univision, revealed that Evarado Ventura Hernández was his younger brother, who left behind a young daughter. “We just came for a better future, but now you can see what we found. We found death,” he said, adding, “I was supposed to take care of my brother because he was the youngest.”

Norma Ventura Hernández, their sister, expressed anger, saying, “We are totally destroyed and it’s not right. Let justice be done, and don’t allow all these deaths to go unpunished.”

Memorial and Advocacy Efforts

More than two dozen people gathered at a memorial service for the victims on Wednesday evening outside the Farmworker Association of Florida office in Apopka, north of Orlando. Attendees held white crosses with the names of those killed, spoke, and sang songs in Spanish.

“Thank you to all who have reached out and offered condolences, help, and prayers” for the people hurt in the crash, Cannon Farms said in a Facebook post. The bus was operated by Olvera Trucking Harvesting Corp. No one answered the phone at Olvera Trucking after the crash. The company had recently advertised for a temporary driver to bus workers to watermelon fields and then operate harvesting equipment at $14.77 an hour.

A Labor Department document shows that Olvera also applied for 43 H-2A workers to harvest watermelons at Cannon Farms this month, at the same rate of $14.77 an hour, with promises of housing and transportation to and from the fields.

The H-2A Program and Farmworker Safety

The H-2A program allows U.S. employers or agents who meet certain regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals into the country to fill temporary agricultural jobs. However, getting to and from the fields can be hazardous. Federal statistics show that vehicle crashes were the leading cause of job-related deaths among farmworkers in 2022, accounting for 81 of 171 fatalities.

Olvera’s vehicle, described by the highway patrol as a “retired” school bus, did not have seat belts, according to Mexican consul Sabines.

The Labor Department announced new seat belt requirements for employer vehicles used for farmworkers on temporary visas, among other worker protections that take effect on June 28. Florida law already requires seat belts for farmworker transport using vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds. The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association has called the new federal seat belt requirement “impractical.”

Advocacy groups are calling for stricter laws and enforcement to protect farmworkers. A GoFundMe campaign organized by the Farmworker Association of Florida to support accident victims and their families had raised nearly $58,000 by Wednesday evening.

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Spencer reported from Fort Lauderdale. Contributors include Adriana Gómez Licón in Miami, Amy Taxin in Santa Ana, Calif., and AP stringer José María Álvarez in Miahuatlan, Mexico, in southern Oaxaca state.