ORLANDO, Fla. – The Mexican Consulate in Orlando held a vigil for Tuesday evening regarding a bus crash last week that killed 8 farmworkers and hospitalized 40 other people.
The vigil honored the memory of the farmworkers who died from the crash, which happened along State Road 40 near Southwest 148 Court near Ocala.
According to investigators, a “retired” school bus, carrying 53 farmworkers, was westbound when a 2001 Ford Ranger headed in the opposite direction veered toward the center of the road and sideswiped the bus, which traveled off the road, through a fence, struck a tree and overturned, troopers said.
Ultimately, Bryan Maclean Howard — the Ford driver — was arrested on eight counts of driving under the influence-manslaughter.
The Mexican Consulate later announced that all of the farmworkers involved in the crash held an H-2A visa, which allows workers from Mexico to travel to the U.S. and work in agriculture.
The Farmworkers Association said it plans to continue offering assistance to the farm workers who are involved.
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