8 killed, dozens injured when bus carrying farmworkers crashes, overturns in Florida

[rustyp]

Thoughts and prayers.

[Stu from NYC]

Sad but nothing we can do

[Kelevision]

OCALA, Fla. — The Florida Highway Patrol has arrested the driver of a pickup truck that crashed into a farmworker bus early Tuesday, killing eight, on charges of driving under the influence-manslaughter……..

Florida farmworkers bus overturns, killing 8 and injuring dozens : NPR (https://www.npr.org/2024/05/14/1251339139/central-florida-farmworkers-bus-overturns-deaths)

[manaboutown]

The miscreant driving the truck has an extensive criminal history. He perhaps should have been locked up and is unfit to drive a tricycle. Here’s what we know about the driver arrested in deadly bus crash that killed 8 farmworkers (https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2024/05/14/heres-what-we-know-about-the-driver-arrested-in-deadly-bus-crash-that-killed-8-farmworkers/)

[Taltarzac725]

Terrible tragedy.

[Kelevision]

The miscreant driving the truck has an extensive criminal history. He perhaps should have been locked up and is unfit to drive a tricycle. Here’s what we know about the driver arrested in deadly bus crash that killed 8 farmworkers (https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2024/05/14/heres-what-we-know-about-the-driver-arrested-in-deadly-bus-crash-that-killed-8-farmworkers/)

Wow! They just keep letting him go….. Good job Florida!! Good job……..

May 31, 2006 — Howard was cited for leaving the scene of a crash with an unattended vehicle or property. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, though that sentence was later suspended. He also paid over $300 in court costs and fines.

Nov. 21, 2009 — Howard was arrested on charges of possessing cannabis and drug paraphernalia, and he pleaded “no contest.” In total, he served two days in jail and six months of probation.

April 18, 2013 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license, and he pleaded “no contest.” Overall, he paid $325 in fines and court costs. However, Howard failed to comply with non-confinement conditions and was later sentenced to 30 days in jail.

July 4, 2013 — Howard was arrested on charges of stolen property and grand theft. He pled guilty to grand theft and was sentenced to 60 days in jail (minus the 56 days he already served) followed by two years of probation. However, he later violated his probation, which was then revoked. As such, he was sentenced to serve 240 days in jail (with credit for 124 days that were already served).

April 2, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of careless driving, which involved a crash with $700 in damage but no injuries. He paid a $189 citation.

May 31, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with an expired license. He paid a $325 fine.

Oct. 10, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license, which was his second such offense. He pled guilty, was sentenced to five days in jail, and paid $250 in fines and court costs.

Nov. 15, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. While this would be his third such offense, court records appear to list it as his second. He pled guilty on Feb. 8, 2019, though he served no jail time, as his 30-day sentence was deferred. He also paid $325 in fines.

Sept. 1, 2019 — Howard was arrested on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, though there were no reported injuries. An arrest affidavit shows he struck a utility pole and left the scene. He pleaded “no contest” and served 12 days in jail, though he received 12 days credit for time served. In addition, he was sentenced to six months probation, 50 hours of community service and received $640 in fines.

Sept. 14, 2021 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license, the latest in his string of such offenses. However, the prosecutor declined to file charges, though the prosecutor didn’t cite a reason.

[Kelevision]

On a side note…. Why are these “related topics” popping up in the middle of posts? It’s annoying…. They aren’t related at all.

[kkingston57]

Wow! They just keep letting him go….. Good job Florida!! Good job……..

May 31, 2006 — Howard was cited for leaving the scene of a crash with an unattended vehicle or property. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, though that sentence was later suspended. He also paid over $300 in court costs and fines.

Nov. 21, 2009 — Howard was arrested on charges of possessing cannabis and drug paraphernalia, and he pleaded “no contest.” In total, he served two days in jail and six months of probation.

April 18, 2013 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license, and he pleaded “no contest.” Overall, he paid $325 in fines and court costs. However, Howard failed to comply with non-confinement conditions and was later sentenced to 30 days in jail.

July 4, 2013 — Howard was arrested on charges of stolen property and grand theft. He pled guilty to grand theft and was sentenced to 60 days in jail (minus the 56 days he already served) followed by two years of probation. However, he later violated his probation, which was then revoked. As such, he was sentenced to serve 240 days in jail (with credit for 124 days that were already served).

April 2, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of careless driving, which involved a crash with $700 in damage but no injuries. He paid a $189 citation.

May 31, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with an expired license. He paid a $325 fine.

Oct. 10, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license, which was his second such offense. He pled guilty, was sentenced to five days in jail, and paid $250 in fines and court costs.

Nov. 15, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. While this would be his third such offense, court records appear to list it as his second. He pled guilty on Feb. 8, 2019, though he served no jail time, as his 30-day sentence was deferred. He also paid $325 in fines.

Sept. 1, 2019 — Howard was arrested on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, though there were no reported injuries. An arrest affidavit shows he struck a utility pole and left the scene. He pleaded “no contest” and served 12 days in jail, though he received 12 days credit for time served. In addition, he was sentenced to six months probation, 50 hours of community service and received $640 in fines.

Sept. 14, 2021 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license, the latest in his string of such offenses. However, the prosecutor declined to file charges, though the prosecutor didn’t cite a reason.

Newest charges will be the whipped cream on top of the s..t and we will now be happily paying for his jailtime. Bet he has no/minimal insurance

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

There is a go fund r set up by the farm workers association , it’s already raised $35;000 if anyone’s interested . For many this is a double tragedy , loss of a loved one and breadwinner. One of them just had a newborn baby

[rmd2]

Wow! They just keep letting him go….. Good job Florida!! Good job……..

May 31, 2006 — Howard was cited for leaving the scene of a crash with an unattended vehicle or property. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, though that sentence was later suspended. He also paid over $300 in court costs and fines.

Nov. 21, 2009 — Howard was arrested on charges of possessing cannabis and drug paraphernalia, and he pleaded “no contest.” In total, he served two days in jail and six months of probation.

April 18, 2013 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license, and he pleaded “no contest.” Overall, he paid $325 in fines and court costs. However, Howard failed to comply with non-confinement conditions and was later sentenced to 30 days in jail.

July 4, 2013 — Howard was arrested on charges of stolen property and grand theft. He pled guilty to grand theft and was sentenced to 60 days in jail (minus the 56 days he already served) followed by two years of probation. However, he later violated his probation, which was then revoked. As such, he was sentenced to serve 240 days in jail (with credit for 124 days that were already served).

April 2, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of careless driving, which involved a crash with $700 in damage but no injuries. He paid a $189 citation.

May 31, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with an expired license. He paid a $325 fine.

Oct. 10, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license, which was his second such offense. He pled guilty, was sentenced to five days in jail, and paid $250 in fines and court costs.

Nov. 15, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. While this would be his third such offense, court records appear to list it as his second. He pled guilty on Feb. 8, 2019, though he served no jail time, as his 30-day sentence was deferred. He also paid $325 in fines.

Sept. 1, 2019 — Howard was arrested on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, though there were no reported injuries. An arrest affidavit shows he struck a utility pole and left the scene. He pleaded “no contest” and served 12 days in jail, though he received 12 days credit for time served. In addition, he was sentenced to six months probation, 50 hours of community service and received $640 in fines.

Sept. 14, 2021 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license, the latest in his string of such offenses. However, the prosecutor declined to file charges, though the prosecutor didn’t cite a reason.

There are so many dismissed charges for criminal behavior and charges that just get the dreaded probation. This has been discussed in TOTV for decades now. We see the evidence of this lienient "justice" from the courts and what it leads to which in this case is the deaths of at this count 8 people and very probably more because there are many people in the hospital who are in critical condition. It is so sad and even more so because the deaths of these farm workers could have been prevented if the Bryan Howard had been in jail or drug abuse treatment but NO he was released each time.

[Bitsee]

Unbelievably sad....those poor families.
Please donate, even if it's only $2. Every little bit helps.

[MandoMan]

Thoughts and prayers.

These were all hard workers who pick the food that ends up on our plates, and they aren’t paid much. These are just the sort of people we should welcome, treat fairly, then send back home when they are done working here. If we don’t want the cost of food to rise, we need to admit that and do the right thing.

Not to excuse the drunk driver who sideswiped their bus at all, but was the bus driver qualified and licensed to drive a bus? He drove the bus off the road, through a fence, hit trees, then the bus turned over. If he had kept both hands on the wheel, stayed on the road, and carefully brought the bus to a halt, chances are that no one would have been hurt, much less killed. It wasn’t a head on collision. The other vehicle sideswiped the bus. The bus driver responded by swerving, which was the wrong thing to do.

Have you ever hit a deer while driving? I have. The worst possible response is to try to swerve to avoid hitting the deer. That is what is most likely to lead to cars overturning and people dying. The deer is going to die in any case. The correct response is to keep both hands on the wheel and not let it turn while braking. That’s what the bus driver should have done.

[ThirdOfFive]

Beyond sad. Eight dead and 40 injured just because someone who absolutely should not have been, was on the road.

Additionally he was DUI--at 6:40 AM!

Sincerely hope that this piece of human detritus gets the full punishment under the law. But, after seeing how the courts function around here, I doubt it.

[Accidental1]

Is it possible the bus driver swerved to avoid a head on collision?

[nancyre]

Exactly what I thought about the bus at Walmart. Most Likely migrant Fram workers - BTW they are legal to work in the US. Prayers for the loss of life due to a multiple offender of DWI.

[Girlcopper]

These were all hard workers who pick the food that ends up on our plates, and they aren’t paid much. These are just the sort of people we should welcome, treat fairly, then send back home when they are done working here. If we don’t want the cost of food to rise, we need to admit that and do the right thing.

Not to excuse the drunk driver who sideswiped their bus at all, but was the bus driver qualified and licensed to drive a bus? He drove the bus off the road, through a fence, hit trees, then the bus turned over. If he had kept both hands on the wheel, stayed on the road, and carefully brought the bus to a halt, chances are that no one would have been hurt, much less killed. It wasn’t a head on collision. The other vehicle sideswiped the bus. The bus driver responded by swerving, which was the wrong thing to do.

Have you ever hit a deer while driving? I have. The worst possible response is to try to swerve to avoid hitting the deer. That is what is most likely to lead to cars overturning and people dying. The deer is going to die in any case. The correct response is to keep both hands on the wheel and not let it turn while braking. That’s what the bus driver should have done.
Unless you were on the bus or a witness to the accident, you have no idea of the reason for the sequence of events. . That’s why there are trained professionals who conduct the accident investigation. To Monday morning quarterback something that you don’t have all the facts to like the surface of the road, the speed of the drivers, the mechanics of the bus or car, is ridiculous. An impaired driver caused an accident and you’re trying to push the blame off on the bus driver. Unless you were in the drivers seat, you don’t know why he reacted the way he did!!

[Vickim]

The miscreant driving the truck has an extensive criminal history. He perhaps should have been locked up and is unfit to drive a tricycle. Here’s what we know about the driver arrested in deadly bus crash that killed 8 farmworkers (https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2024/05/14/heres-what-we-know-about-the-driver-arrested-in-deadly-bus-crash-that-killed-8-farmworkers/)

Some folks never learn. We have our fair share of DUI drivers in the villages and yes golf carts included. 50,60,70 years old and still drinking and driving. See it EVERY-night leaving the squares.Question is what do you do with these people because what is currently being done is clearly not working.

[Vickim]

Unbelievably sad....those poor families.
Please donate, even if it's only $2. Every little bit helps.

Never donate to go fund me . They were the same company that withheld the money raised for truckers in Canada during COVID.

[Priebehouse]

possibly and maybe probably. All were farm workers on their way to work
all with approved work visas.

[Wondering]

Possibly and maybe probably. All were farm workers on their way to work
Possibly/probably? Undocumented or documented are the correct terms. They are/were doing work that Americans are too lazy to do!

[DPWM21]

Per Dunnellon newspapers:

Sometimes rising at 3am., these people worked hard.

How to help:

DUNNELLON, Fla. — A devastating bus crash left eight people dead and dozens more hurt on Tuesday morning in central Florida.
The bus, which was heading to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon, was carrying 46 farmworkers whose families are now dealing with hospital bills and other expenses on top of the loss of their loved ones.
A GoFundMe benefitting the Farmworker Association of Florida has been created to support the victims of Tuesday's tragic crash and their families. As of 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, $1,830 had been raised of the $50,000 goal.

[chrisinva]

Or Use this link to donate Donate - The Farmworker Association of Florida, Inc. (http://floridafarmworkers.org/givenow/)

[ThirdOfFive]

Possibly/probably? Undocumented or documented are the correct terms. They are/were doing work that Americans are too lazy to do!
According to whom?

[Stu from NYC]

Fox News! Everybody drink...

BTW, who elect you the "language police"?

Oh, and being undocumented is "illegal"...

Can we hold an election on who becomes in charge of the language police?

[JMintzer]

Possibly/probably? Undocumented or documented are the correct terms. They are/were doing work that Americans are too lazy to do!

No, they are the "Politically correct" terms...

And bravo for the documented ones who are doing the work you're talking about...

The "illegal" ones? No one knows what work they are doing, since they do it "under the table"... If at all...

In fact, I don't see ANY work being done by the 10s of thousands of Illegal immigrants staying in luxury hotels in major cities across the country. I see them sitting around, getting "3 hots and a cot", free medical care, free cellphones, free monthly stipends... All while our many of our veterans live on the streets...

Oh, I also see them beating police officers, raping women and children, attacking people in the streets, setting up fencing rings, selling drugs, etc, etc, etc...

The Mayor of NYC wants to turn them into "Lifeguards", since they're "very good swimmers"... WTF??? "Very good swimmers??? Does he think they swam here? Sounds a bit racist to me...

Maybe if you stopped watching MSLSD (isn't it fun to play that game?) you wouls be able to take off your rose colored glasses...

[fdpaq0580]

No, they are the "Politically correct" terms...

And bravo for the documented ones who are doing the work you're talking about...

The "illegal" ones? No one knows what work they are doing, since they do it "under the table"... If at all...

In fact, I don't see ANY work being done by the 10s of thousands of Illegal immigrants staying in luxury hotels in major cities across the country. I see them sitting around, getting "3 hots and a cot", free medical care, free cellphones, free monthly stipends... All while our many of our veterans live on the streets...

Oh, I also see them beating police officers, raping women and children, attacking people in the streets, setting up fencing rings, selling drugs, etc, etc, etc...

The Mayor of NYC wants to turn them into "Lifeguards", since they're "very good swimmers"... WTF??? "Very good swimmers??? Does he think they swam here? Sounds a bit racist to me...

Maybe if you stopped watching MSLSD (isn't it fun to play that game?) you wouls be able to take off your rose colored glasses...

WOW! You sure do see a lot! You sure get around. Luxury hotels all across the country, checking all the rooms to see who is in them. And you watch cop beatings, women and children being raped? I have never actually witnessed such things first hand, like you. And to think that documented people and citizens never do such things.
I am a very good swimmer though, a certified diver and trained in cpr. Could I get one of those lifeguard jobs?
PS. I don't own any rose colored glasses. Taking them off is not an option.

[golfing eagles]

Wow! They just keep letting him go….. Good job Florida!! Good job……..

May 31, 2006 — Howard was cited for leaving the scene of a crash with an unattended vehicle or property. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, though that sentence was later suspended. He also paid over $300 in court costs and fines.

Nov. 21, 2009 — Howard was arrested on charges of possessing cannabis and drug paraphernalia, and he pleaded “no contest.” In total, he served two days in jail and six months of probation.

April 18, 2013 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license, and he pleaded “no contest.” Overall, he paid $325 in fines and court costs. However, Howard failed to comply with non-confinement conditions and was later sentenced to 30 days in jail.

July 4, 2013 — Howard was arrested on charges of stolen property and grand theft. He pled guilty to grand theft and was sentenced to 60 days in jail (minus the 56 days he already served) followed by two years of probation. However, he later violated his probation, which was then revoked. As such, he was sentenced to serve 240 days in jail (with credit for 124 days that were already served).

April 2, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of careless driving, which involved a crash with $700 in damage but no injuries. He paid a $189 citation.

May 31, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with an expired license. He paid a $325 fine.

Oct. 10, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license, which was his second such offense. He pled guilty, was sentenced to five days in jail, and paid $250 in fines and court costs.

Nov. 15, 2018 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license. While this would be his third such offense, court records appear to list it as his second. He pled guilty on Feb. 8, 2019, though he served no jail time, as his 30-day sentence was deferred. He also paid $325 in fines.

Sept. 1, 2019 — Howard was arrested on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, though there were no reported injuries. An arrest affidavit shows he struck a utility pole and left the scene. He pleaded “no contest” and served 12 days in jail, though he received 12 days credit for time served. In addition, he was sentenced to six months probation, 50 hours of community service and received $640 in fines.

Sept. 14, 2021 — Howard was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended/revoked license, the latest in his string of such offenses. However, the prosecutor declined to file charges, though the prosecutor didn’t cite a reason.

So here's a (hopefully) short story:

In February 2000 my son was a front seat passenger in a Jeep Wrangler that was hit head on by an Econoline van that crossed into his lane operated by a drunk driver. We have footage from WSBK in Boston showing his face in the passenger side window during a 45 minute extrication. He was admitted to Beth Israel with a hip fracture and TBI. The driver had multiple fractures, and the 2 back seat passengers had only minor injuries. The detective that did the investigation told all 4 victims that they would "throw the book" at this low life.

Both women in the back seat were lawyers and pulled the jerk's "rap sheet". It was 84 pages long and included among other things 17 possession of heroin with intent to deal convictions, 110 vehicle accidents including 26 hit and runs with some severe injuries, and multiple robberies and batteries. He had never spent a day in jail and actually had a valid Massachusetts driver's license.

They showed the rap sheet to the detective, who immediately recanted and stated there was nothing he could do. Why????? He assumed the low life was a confidential informant for the Feds being protected by them. So much for justice. He's probably still out there. Fortunately everyone made a full recovery

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

No, they are the "Politically correct" terms...

And bravo for the documented ones who are doing the work you're talking about...

The "illegal" ones? No one knows what work they are doing, since they do it "under the table"... If at all...

In fact, I don't see ANY work being done by the 10s of thousands of Illegal immigrants staying in luxury hotels in major cities across the country. I see them sitting around, getting "3 hots and a cot", free medical care, free cellphones, free monthly stipends... All while our many of our veterans live on the streets...

Oh, I also see them beating police officers, raping women and children, attacking people in the streets, setting up fencing rings, selling drugs, etc, etc, etc...

The Mayor of NYC wants to turn them into "Lifeguards", since they're "very good swimmers"... WTF??? "Very good swimmers??? Does he think they swam here? Sounds a bit racist to me...

Maybe if you stopped watching MSLSD (isn't it fun to play that game?) you wouls be able to take off your rose colored glasses...

If that's what you're seeing all the time I suggest you start hanging out with a higher quality of people.

[Shipping up to Boston]

So here's a (hopefully) short story:

In February 2000 my son was a front seat passenger in a Jeep Wrangler that was hit head on by an Econoline van that crossed into his lane operated by a drunk driver. We have footage from WSBK in Boston showing his face in the passenger side window during a 45 minute extrication. He was admitted to Beth Israel with a hip fracture and TBI. The driver had multiple fractures, and the 2 back seat passengers had only minor injuries. The detective that did the investigation told all 4 victims that they would "throw the book" at this low life.

Both women in the back seat were lawyers and pulled the jerk's "rap sheet". It was 84 pages long and included among other things 17 possession of heroin with intent to deal convictions, 110 vehicle accidents including 26 hit and runs with some severe injuries, and multiple robberies and batteries. He had never spent a day in jail and actually had a valid Massachusetts driver's license.

They showed the rap sheet to the detective, who immediately recanted and stated there was nothing he could do. Why????? He assumed the low life was a confidential informant for the Feds being protected by them. So much for justice. He's probably still out there. Fortunately everyone made a full recovery

Thank you for sharing that!

[Shipping up to Boston]

No, they are the "Politically correct" terms...

And bravo for the documented ones who are doing the work you're talking about...

The "illegal" ones? No one knows what work they are doing, since they do it "under the table"... If at all...

In fact, I don't see ANY work being done by the 10s of thousands of Illegal immigrants staying in luxury hotels in major cities across the country. I see them sitting around, getting "3 hots and a cot", free medical care, free cellphones, free monthly stipends... All while our many of our veterans live on the streets...

Oh, I also see them beating police officers, raping women and children, attacking people in the streets, setting up fencing rings, selling drugs, etc, etc, etc...

The Mayor of NYC wants to turn them into "Lifeguards", since they're "very good swimmers"... WTF??? "Very good swimmers??? Does he think they swam here? Sounds a bit racist to me...

Maybe if you stopped watching MSLSD (isn't it fun to play that game?) you wouls be able to take off your rose colored glasses...

You didnt happen to watch a Charles Bronson movie marathon....or Taxi Driver w/DeNiro before you posted this JM? (Just kidding)

[JMintzer]

WOW! You sure do see a lot! You sure get around. Luxury hotels all across the country, checking all the rooms to see who is in them. And you watch cop beatings, women and children being raped? I have never actually witnessed such things first hand, like you. And to think that documented people and citizens never do such things.
I am a very good swimmer though, a certified diver and trained in cpr. Could I get one of those lifeguard jobs?
PS. I don't own any rose colored glasses. Taking them off is not an option.

Is video a foreign concept to you? How about police reports? And you've really never watched nor read a single article regarding illegal aliens being housed in luxury hotels in NYC, Chicago, etc, etc, etc?

I'll agree, you're not wearing rose colored glasses. You're wearing a blindfold...

[JMintzer]

If that's what you're seeing all the time I suggest you start hanging out with a higher quality of people.

Why do you think I'm retiring at the end of the year and moving to TV, pretty much full time?

Also, see post #31...

[JMintzer]

You didnt happen to watch a Charles Bronson movie marathon....or Taxi Driver w/DeNiro before you posted this JM? (Just kidding)

Funny! But no...