MARION COUNTY, Fla. – The man accused of driving intoxicated before sideswiping a bus full of migrant farmworkers, killing eight of them and sending another 40 to the hospital, has pleaded not guilty.
Marion County court records show Bryan Howard, 41, entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday during his arraignment.
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Howard faces eight counts of DUI manslaughter and 11 counts of DUI with serious bodily injury to another.
Investigators said Howard was intoxicated behind the wheel of a Ford Ranger pickup while driving along State Road 40 in May. Troopers said Howard sideswiped the bus carrying 53 migrant farmworkers, forcing it off the road.
The bus went through a fence, hit a tree and wound up on its side.
The Marion County Medical Examiner’s Office has since said the following eight people died in the bus crash:
- Isaias Miranda Pascual, 21
- Oscar Temoxtle Temoxtle, 31
- Alfredo Tovar-Sanchez, 20
- Manuel Perez Rios, 46
- Jose Fraga Acosta, 27
- Santiago Benito De Jesus, 24
- Cristian Salazar-Villada, 24
- Everado Ventura Hernandez, 30
Investigators said Howard failed several field sobriety exercises after the crash prior to his arrest.
Records show Howard has had several run-ins with the law, many for driving-related offenses. He has been held without bond since his arrest in May.
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