Man smoked marijuana oil, took medication before deadly Florida crash, affidavit says

OCALA, Fla. — A man told investigators that he smoked marijuana oil and took prescription drugs hours before his pickup truck sideswiped a bus, killing eight farmworkers, in Florida, according to an arrest affidavit. 

Bryan Maclean Howard, 41, was charged with eight counts of DUI manslaughter after the collision Tuesday killed eight people and injured dozens more. The arrest affidavit said Howard was "non-responsive" after the crash and was identified as the driver of the 2001 Ford Ranger pickup truck that rammed into the bus carrying workers on their way to a watermelon farm early Tuesday.

Howard's speech was slurred, and his eyes were bloodshot and watery, according to the affidavit. He then failed a field sobriety test and was arrested, authorities said.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador on Wednesday said the bus was carrying 44 Mexican immigrants who had temporary work visas and had been hired by a Mexican American businessman. Civil rights advocates called on Florida to protect its essential laborers following the crash, which shined a spotlight on the roadway dangers that farmworkers face across the nation.

"They are the ones who put the food on our tables and nourish the state and our country," League of United Latin American Citizens President Domingo Garcia said in a statement. "It is too easy to dismiss this as just another accident. Florida must take every possible step to protect its essential workers, who are human beings and the backbone of the state's economy."

Marijuana oil and prescription medications

The affidavit summarizes what Howard told authorities when they interviewed him at Adventhealth Ocala Hospital, where Howard had been taken for treatment after the crash. According to the summary, Howard told Florida Highway Patrol troopers that the night before the crash, he was hanging out with a friend and smoked marijuana oil.

Howard also said he took three prescribed medications — Klonopin, Lyrica, and Clonidine — before going to bed between 11:30 p.m. and midnight. The affidavit adds that Howard said he woke up about 5 a.m. Tuesday and left his parents' residence outside of Dunnellon, Florida.

He said he got into the pickup, which he owns, and was on his way to a methadone clinic in Ocala. Howard said he goes to the clinic regularly for a back condition. He told troopers he doesn't remember how the crash occurred.

Three days before the deadly crash, Howard said he was driving his mother's vehicle when it crashed into a tree, and he was trying to avoid hitting an animal. The affidavit doesn't say if Howard was arrested in that case, or where the crash took place.

Marion County records show Howard was cited for several traffic-related offenses from 2004 to 2019, including failure to wear a seatbelt, driving on a suspended or expired driver's license, failure to stop at a red light, careless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. He has also been convicted of possessing drug paraphernalia and grand theft.

Judge denies bus driver bail

During his court appearance Wednesday, Howard told the judge that he has no assets and $700 in the bank. He added that he has no dependents and has been self-employed for the past seven or eight months as a painter and drywall installer. 

The judge denied bail for Howard, citing his criminal history, the number of victims in the crash, and the potential for more charges.

The laborers on the bus worked for a private company and were on their way to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon, Florida, about 20 miles outside of Ocala, when the crash occurred. The owner of the company was also on the bus and transported to a hospital. The bus was a 2010 International Bus, highway patrol said.

Fifty-three people were aboard the bus when it crashed, officials said. Eight people were critically injured, ten were seriously injured, and at least 25 occupants suffered minor injuries.

Florida crash highlights roadway dangers

The deadly crash Tuesday is the latest to claim the lives of farmworkers in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, transportation accidents were the leading cause of death for farmworkers in 2021.

The National Center for Farmworker Health estimates there are roughly 2.9 million agricultural workers in the U.S., and 70% of them are immigrants. About 63% of the workers are from Mexico, according to the center.

Federal officials have also long sounded the alarm on the dangers of drunk driving, which kills one person every 45 minutes, according to the CDC. Nearly one-third of all traffic deaths in the U.S. involved drunk drivers, the agency found.

Drug-impaired driving has also raised public safety concerns but there is less information and data on its dangers compared to the consequences of alcohol-impaired driving.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY