At least eight people were killed in a bus crash on a Florida highway Tuesday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The bus collided with a pickup truck on State Route 40 in Marion County, south of Gainesville and northwest of Orlando, the Highway Patrol said.
About 40 people, including the truck driver, were taken to area hospitals after the crash outside Dunnellon, Florida, Highway Patrol Lt. Pat Riordan said at a news conference. Some of the injured were in very serious condition, Riordan said.
The crash involved a bus carrying approximately 53 farm workers and a 2001 Ford Ranger truck, the Highway Patrol said in a statement to CBS News.
The retired school bus was traveling west on the highway and the pickup truck was traveling east when the truck moved toward the center line around 6:35 a.m., Riordan said.
Mr Riordan said the bus and truck collided “in a skid type fashion”. The collision caused the bus to veer off the road, crash through a fence, hit a tree and overturn.
Riordan said it was not immediately clear why the truck moved toward the center line.
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Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods told reporters that more than 30 ambulances were called to the scene of the crash.
Riordan said the bus was transporting workers to farms in the area. Woods said farmworkers are documented immigrants.
“Everything I've heard at this point, they all have what it takes to be here,” Woods said. “There's no reason for me to get involved with them. They're hard-working people and they have no problem being here.”
Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena said on social media Several Mexicans were reportedly involved in the crash. Woods said the language barrier is one of the challenges in the investigation, but authorities have bilingual personnel available to provide interpretation.
The Marion County Sheriff's Office announced on social media that the portion of the highway where the crash occurred will be closed for the rest of the day.
Highway Patrol is investigating the accident. Riordan said it will take investigators at least six months to conduct their investigation.
