A bus carrying migrant farm workers crashed with a pickup truck in Florida Tuesday morning, leaving eight people dead and around 45 people injured.
The crash, involving the bus carrying over 50 people, happened on SR-40, northwest of Orlando near Ocala, at around 6.30am.
Footage from the scene showed the bus lying on its side in a field off the highway, where it had rolled after colliding with the Ford Ranger truck and then a tree.
Eight people died in the collision. The workers were reportedly on their way to work at Cannon Farms in nearby Dunnellon.
“They are hard-working individuals and there is absolutely nothing wrong with them being here,” Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods told reporters on the scene, after being asked if those on board were undocumented.
Florida Highway Patrol told The Independent that the approximately forty people injured were taken to local hospitals for treatment, later saying that some were in a “very serious” condition.
The agency is investigating the cause of the collision, which it is treating as “vehicular homicide”.
“It’s probably going to be six months, at least, before we conclude factually what transpired here today,” FHP Public Information Officer Pat Riorden told reporters on the scene.
Some were taken to nearby AdventHealth facilities in Ocala, with the hospital telling The Independent that 16 patients were in its care.
“Our prayers are with all those affected by the tragic bus accident in Ocala this morning,” Dr. Rodrigo Torres, Chief Medical Officer, AdventHealth Ocala, said in a statement.
“Our immediate priority is to provide exceptional medical care to those injured, and compassionate support to our patients and their loved ones. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.”
Marion County Sheriff’s Office was forced to clarify to followers on its Facebook page that the bus involved was not a school bus, after rumours quickly spread that children were involved.
Drivers were asked to avoid the area while officers cleared the accident.
The Sheriff called the incident a “tragedy” and said that FHP was the best authority to investigate what had happened.
