MARION COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN) — Newly released bodycam footage reveals the moments officials responded to bus crash in Marion County earlier this week.
The bus was carrying migrant farm workers and resulted in eight fatalities and dozens of injuries.
Emergency responders arrived at the scene on State Road 40 Tuesday morning. The footage shows paramedics treating victims scattered across an open field, while other first responders struggled to coordinate traffic.
The initial dispatch reported a work bus rollover involving two additional vehicles, with 53 patients, 13 of whom were critical. The crash occurred when a pickup truck sideswiped the bus, causing it to be knocked off the road and onto its side. Some workers remained trapped inside the bus while others were treated by paramedics against a nearby fence.
Efforts to shut down the roadway were evident in the footage, with responders attempting to control the flow of traffic. Both directions of SR-40 were eventually closed and remained shut down for about 12 hours.
Investigators identified the driver of the pickup truck as Bryan Howard, who was arrested on DUI manslaughter charges. According to the arrest report, Howard admitted that he had smoked marijuana oil before the accident.
