(Ocala) A bus carrying farm workers in central Florida overturned Tuesday, killing eight people and injuring about 40 other passengers, authorities said.
The bus was carrying 53 farm workers around 6:40 a.m. when it collided with a truck in Marion County, north of Orlando, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Authorities say the bus left State Road 40, a straight but somewhat hilly two-lane road that passes through farms. He went over a fence and ended up on his side in a field. Workers were transported to Cannon Farms in Dunellon, where they harvested watermelons.
Photos taken at the scene by the Ocala Star-Banner show the coach lying on its side with the rear emergency door and upper hatch open. The truck that hit him has significant damage to the driver’s side.
There is no immediate indication that weather conditions played a role.
“We will be closed today out of respect for the losses and injuries suffered early this morning in the accident,” Cannon Farms announced on its Facebook page. Please pray with us for the families and loved ones involved in this tragic accident. We thank you for your understanding during these difficult times. »
Cannon Farms describes itself as a family-owned commercial farming operation that has been farming its land for more than 100 years and now focuses on peanuts and watermelons, which it ships to grocery stores across the United States and Canada.
No one answered the phone at Olvera Trucking Tuesday afternoon. The company had recently advertised for a temporary driver to transport workers by bus to the watermelon fields.