OCALA, Florida (WESH) — The driver accused of causing a bus crash that killed eight people and injured dozens of others in Ocala has been arrested on DUI manslaughter charges, Florida Highway Patrol said.
According to FHP, the driver, Bryan Maclean Howard, was traveling east in a pickup truck on SR-40 when he drove close to the center line and sideswept an International school bus traveling west on the same road.
The collision caused the bus, traveling with 53 farm workers, to run off the roadway, strike a tree, then overturn. Eight people were killed and more than 40 were hospitalized.
Howard, 41, was arrested by FHP troopers at 1:47 p.m. Tuesday, officials said. He is facing eight counts of driving under the influence resulting in manslaughter.
In an arrest report obtained by WESH 2, troopers say they responded to a hospital in Ocala just before noon in response to suspicion Howard may have been impaired. An official says his eyes were bloodshot and watery, and added that his speech was slurred, documents say.
In an interview, troopers say Howard admitted to smoking “some marijuana oil” with his friend the night before and said he took three prescription medications before he went to bed, his arrest report says.
Additionally, troopers say Howard told them he was “driving very carefully” because he was in a crash three days earlier. In that crash, troopers say he “wrapped his mother’s car around a tree” while trying to avoid an animal that ran out in front of him.
After a series of DUI tests, troopers say they placed Howard under arrest.
Troopers say they requested two breath tests from Howard just before 3 p.m., which both came back as 0.000, documents show.
According to records, Howard has been convicted in 20 previous cases, which includes careless driving, driving without a license and leaving the scene of a crash.
Howard went in front of a judge for his first appearance on Wednesday morning wearing a suicide prevention smock and with his head wrapped in bandages.
During his initial appearance, prosecutors asked that Howard be held without bond because of his history of driving violations and because more charges would likely be coming related to the deadly crash.
The judge agreed to keep Howard in jail without bond. She also said that if Howard is eventually allowed to leave custody, he is not allowed to drive a car, use alcohol or take drugs without a prescription.
According to FHP, the 53 farmer workers were on their way to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon when the crash happened Tuesday at 6:37 a.m. on SR-40 just west of SW 148 Ct.
Eight people were confirmed dead, but Lt. Patrick Riordan with FHP said there is a “high probability” that number could increase.
Many of the crash victims were taken to local hospitals, including Howard.
AdventHealth Ocala treated more than 15 patients on Tuesday, and said many of them had been released by the afternoon. HCA Florida West Marion also took patients from the crash.
The horrific crash shut down SR-40 in both directions for the entire day.
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