Eight people were killed and over 40 others injured after a pickup truck collided with a bus carrying migrant farmworkers in Marion County, Florida.

“Currently, numerous law enforcement and other emergency crews are on the scene of a mass casualty incident in Marion County, Florida, after a migrant bus carrying dozens of passengers crashed causing a significant accident with another vehicle. The bus is on its side in a horse farm, resulting in the death of up to 8 people on board and injuring 45 others, eight of whom are critically injured. In total, there were 53 patients involved in the crash,” Rawsalerts wrote.

“The incident occurred along Florida State Road 40 at Rainbow Springs Boulevard, approximately 45 miles south of Gainesville,” the post added.

An update read:

-The crash happened when a 2001 Ford pickup truck side-swiped the bus (carrying approx. 50 farm workers) in Marion Count
-The bus then went off-road, crashed into a fence, and overturned in a field
-8 dead, but that number may rise
-Approx. 50 hospitalized, several in critical condition
-FHP conducting homicide investigation that may take 6 months

FOX 35 Orlando reports:

The Florida Highway Patrol said the crash happened shortly after 6:30 a.m. on SR-40, west of SW 148 Court, on the outskirts of Dunnellon.

During a news conference, troopers said a 2010 retired International school bus, transporting 53 farmworkers, was traveling westbound on SR-40. For unknown reasons, officials said a 2001 Ford Ranger truck traveling eastbound on the same road collided with the bus in a sideswipe manner.

After the collision, the bus traveled off the roadway through a nearby fence, struck a tree and overturned, FHP Lt. Patrick Riordan told reporters.

Over 40 people injured in the crash were taken to local hospitals, including the driver of the pickup truck. That person had serious injuries, FHP said.

“Some of those are also in very serious condition. So there’s high probability this may be beyond eight fatalities,” Riordan said, according to FOX 35 Orlando. 

“We do not get in a hurry to conclude what happened until we have all the facts. And with that, I can tell you that it’s going to be probably six months at least, before we conclude factually what transpired here today,” he added.

“Bryan Maclean Howard, who was driving a Ford Ranger truck at the time of the crash, was arrested on eight counts of DUI manslaughter charges,” FOX 13 Tampa Bay stated.

Per FOX 13 Tampa Bay:

According to FHP, a retired 2010 International School Bus that was carrying around 53 farmworkers to a local farm collided with a truck just after 6:30 a.m on Tuesday.

“We are a very big agricultural county. So this time of year, we always have migrant workers that are in our county that are on buses just like this,” explained Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods during a press conference.

FHP Public Affairs Officer, Lt. Patrick Riordan, says the bus was headed west on SR-40 on the outskirts of Dunnellon as a 2001 Ford Ranger pickup truck was traveling east. For unknown reasons, the truck traveled toward the center line and the two vehicles collided in ‘a sideswiped manner,’ according to officials.

WATCH:

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