A Florida man accused of skidding a bus, killing eight Mexican farm workers and injuring dozens more, told officers he had drunk marijuana the night before the fatal crash, according to a report. He said he smoked oil and took prescription drugs.
Brian McLean Howard, 41, was charged with DUI after authorities say his 2001 Ford Ranger pickup truck crashed into a bus carrying more than 40 workers to a watermelon farm in Marion County. He was charged with eight counts of capital murder. Howard had pleaded not guilty and was being held without bail.
According to the arrest report, when interviewed by Florida Highway Patrol troopers at the hospital after the crash, troopers said Howard’s eyes were bloodshot and watery, and his speech was slurred.
In addition to smoking marijuana oil Monday night, Howard told investigators he was taking two anti-seizure medications and a medication for high blood pressure, according to an affidavit obtained by The Associated Press. . He woke up about five hours later and drove to a methadone clinic, where he receives daily medication to treat his chipped vertebrae, he said.
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On Tuesday, Brian McLean Howard was arrested in connection with the bus crash and charged with eight counts of DUI manslaughter. (Marion County Sheriff’s Office)
He also said he crashed his mother’s car into a tree a few days earlier while trying to avoid an animal, according to the affidavit.
Howard subsequently failed various breathalyzer tests and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
At least eight Mexican farm workers on the bus were killed in the accident. Dozens of people on the bus were injured. (AP Photo/Alan Youngblood)
After Howard’s pickup truck collided with the bus, the bus veered off the road, crashed through two barriers and overturned.
The bus skidded off the road as it was taking the workers to a watermelon farm in Marion County. (AP Photo/Alan Youngblood)
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All eight people who died were in the U.S. from Mexico on H-2A farmworker visas, officials said. Dozens of others were injured and remained hospitalized Wednesday.
Six of the dead were identified as Evarad Ventura Hernández, 30. Cristian Salazar Villeda, 24 years old. Alfredo Tobal Sanchez, 20 years old. Isaias Miranda Pascal, 21 years old. Jose Heriberto Fraga Acosta, 27 years old. and Manuel Perez Rios (46).
Brian McLean Howard allegedly crashed his Ford pickup truck into a bus. (AP Photo/Alan Youngblood)
Howard’s driving record includes at least three crashes and numerous traffic tickets dating back to 2006, according to Marion County court records. In one case, he received a citation for crossing the center line of a roadway.
Records show his license has been suspended at least three times, with the most recent suspension occurring in 2021 for getting too many citations within a year.
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Howard was convicted of grand larceny in 2013, and his probation was revoked a year later after he tested positive for cocaine, according to court documents.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
