Eight Lives Lost: Tragic Bus Accident on State Road 40 in Florida, Driver Charged with DUI Manslaughter

Ocala, Florida United States of America
Bryan Maclean Howard was identified as the driver and charged with eight counts of DUI manslaughter.
On May 15, 2024, a bus accident on State Road 40 in Marion County, Florida resulted in the deaths of eight individuals and injuries to dozens more.
The driver of a pickup truck veered into the lane of an oncoming bus filled with farmworkers.
The victims were H-2A visa holders from Mexico, ranging in age from 18 to 46 years old.
Three victims remained in critical condition as of May 15.
Eight Lives Lost: Tragic Bus Accident on State Road 40 in Florida, Driver Charged with DUI Manslaughter

In the early hours of May 15, 2024, a tragic bus accident occurred on State Road 40 in Marion County, Florida. The incident resulted in the deaths of eight individuals and left dozens more injured. According to various sources, including the Florida Highway Patrol and local news outlets such as Wesh, WFLA, and WUFT, the driver of a pickup truck veered into the lane of an oncoming bus filled with farmworkers. The impact caused the bus to overturn and crash into a tree.

The driver of the pickup truck was identified as Bryan Maclean Howard. He was arrested on eight counts of DUI manslaughter and taken into custody shortly after the incident. According to reports, Howard had a history of run-ins with the law, including driving with a suspended license and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage.

The farmworkers on the bus were all H-2A visa holders from Mexico. They were headed to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon for work when the accident occurred. The victims ranged in age from 18 to 31 years old, and three of them remained in critical condition as of May 15.

The youngest victim was identified as José Heriberto Fraga Acosta (27), and the oldest was Manuel Perez Rios (46). The other victims were Cristian Salazar Villeda (24), Alfredo Tovar Sanchez (20), Isaias Miranda Pascal (21), Evarado Ventura Hernandez (30), and two unidentified Hispanic males.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but it is believed that Howard may have been impaired at the time. According to some reports, he told investigators that he had smoked marijuana oil the night before and was taking prescription medications.

This tragic incident has left families and communities in mourning. The Mexican Consulate in Orlando is providing support for the victims' families, offering legal and mental health assistance as they navigate this difficult time.


Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image
Article Image

Confidence

96%

Doubts
  • The cause of the accident is still under investigation and it's not confirmed that Howard was impaired at the time.
  • The condition of some victims may have changed since reporting.

Sources

88%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Truck driver in deadly Florida bus crash told authorities he smoked marijuana oil the night before, arrest report says

CBS News Site: https://www.cbsnews.com/articles/about-us/ Alex Sundby Wednesday, 15 May 2024 22:08
  • Unique Points
    • Bryan Maclean Howard, a truck driver, has been charged with eight counts of driving under the influence manslaughter after his pickup truck hit a bus and killed at least eight people and injured dozens in Florida on May 15, 2024.
    • Howard told investigators he smoked marijuana oil the night before the crash and took prescription medications.
    • Six of the deceased victims were identified: Jose Heriberto Fraga Acosta (27), Isaias Miranda Pascal (21), Manuel Perez Rios (46), Cristian Salazar Villeda (24), Alfredo Tovar Sanchez (20) and Evarado Ventura Hernandez (30). Two other deceased victims were identified as Hispanic males.
    • Howard’s truck failed to maintain its lane of travel earlier that morning, according to a witness.
    • Some of the farmworkers were Mexican migrants with H-2A visas, which allow foreign nationals to come into the U.S. legally to temporarily fill agricultural jobs.
  • Accuracy
    • Bryan Maclean Howard was the driver of the truck.
    • The bus was carrying about 53 farmworkers.
    • The crash occurred on State Road 40 around 6:40 a.m.
  • Deception (50%)
    The article is deceptive in its omission of details about the driver's history and the circumstances leading up to the crash. It fails to disclose that this is not the first time Howard has been involved in a serious accident, as he mentioned having crashed his mother's car into a tree just three days prior. Additionally, it does not mention that Howard has a history of substance abuse, which could have contributed to the crash.
    • The former school bus and the truck were going in opposite directions when the truck moved toward the center line...
    • Updated on: May 15, 2024 / 3:23 PM EDT / CBS News
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Mexican Consulate says victims of massive bus crash in Ocala seek legal, mental health support

WESH News (Central Florida Local News Source) Dacia Johnson Wednesday, 15 May 2024 20:56
  • Unique Points
    • The driver of the bus was a 40-year-old man originally from Mexico
    • All migrants on the bus had an H-2A visa and were hard workers with no criminal history
    • Three victims remain in critical condition as of today
    • The youngest victim was 18 years old and the oldest was 31 years old
  • Accuracy
    • Eight migrant workers were killed in a bus crash in Ocala, Florida
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

LIVE: Victims identified in fatal bus crash in Marion County

WFLA News Channel 8 Sara Filips Wednesday, 15 May 2024 20:13
  • Unique Points
    • The driver of a truck, Bryan Howard, side-swiped the bus and caused it to overturn, resulting in eight deaths and dozens of hospitalizations.
    • Howard has a history of run-ins with the law, including driving with a suspended license, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, careless driving, failing to stop at a red light, grand theft, possession of cannabis and trespassing.
  • Accuracy
    • ]The driver of a truck, Bryan Howard[/,
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

8 dead, at least 40 injured as farmworkers' bus overturns west of Ocala

WUFT Public Media Associated Press, Tuesday, 14 May 2024 15:39
  • Unique Points
    • The driver of the truck, Bryan Maclean Howard, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence-manslaughter.
    • Fifty-three farmworkers were headed to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon when the accident happened.
    • The bus ended up on its side with smashed windows and an open emergency door.
  • Accuracy
    • Howard was arrested at 1:47 p.m. on eight counts of driving under the influence-manslaughter.
    • Howard told investigators he smoked marijuana oil the night before the crash and took prescription medications.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (90%)
    The article does not contain any formal fallacies or appeals to authority. However, it does present a somewhat dichotomous depiction of the safety of farmworkers and their transportation by describing the tragic accident and subsequent investigation. Additionally, there is inflammatory rhetoric in quotes from advocacy groups calling for stricter laws to protect farmworkers and mentioning that vehicle crashes were the leading cause of job-related deaths among them in 2022. The article also provides context on previous arrests of the truck driver and information about federal seat belt requirements for employer vehicles used by farmworkers on temporary visas.
    • The driver of a pickup truck that crashed into a farmworker bus in Marion County early Tuesday, killing eight, has been arrested on charges of driving under the influence-manslaughter, authorities said.
    • It is unknown if all the workers on the bus were migrants.
    • Vehicle crashes were the leading cause of job-related deaths among farmworkers in 2022.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication