Evarado Ventura Hernandez,Manuel Perez Rios Obituary, Death; 6 Mexican farmworkers that crash through Florida bus ID

Evarado Ventura Hernandez,Manuel Perez Rios Obituary, Death;  – A man with a lengthy history of reckless driving entered a plea of not guilty on Wednesday for charges of driving under the influence-manslaughter. The incident resulted in the tragic deaths of eight Mexican farmworkers, with several others sustaining injuries.

The accused, Bryan Maclean Howard, 41, is currently being held in jail without bond following the crash that occurred on Tuesday. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Howard’s 2001 Ford pickup truck veered into the center line of a two-lane road, colliding with a bus carrying farmworkers. The impact caused the bus to veer off the road, strike a tree, and overturn.

During a teleconference with the judge from jail, Howard stated that he is a self-employed painter and drywall installer with only $700 in his bank account. He claimed to have no other assets or dependents. Howard appeared in court with a bandaged head and wearing a protective gown typically provided to inmates on suicide watch. The judge denied his request for bond, assigned a public defender to his case, and scheduled his next court appearance for the following month.

According to the arrest report, troopers noted that Howard exhibited bloodshot and watery eyes, as well as slurred speech after the crash, although he claimed to have no recollection of the incident. During the investigation, Howard informed an FHP investigator that he had recently crashed his mother’s car into a tree while attempting to avoid an animal. He also admitted to smoking marijuana oil and taking his prescribed medications, which included two anti-seizure drugs and a medication for high blood pressure, before going to bed on Monday night. Howard stated that he woke up approximately five hours later and was driving to a methadone clinic for his daily medication to treat chipped vertebrae.

Subsequently, Howard failed several sobriety tests and was subsequently arrested by the FHP. His parents did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment, and the Marion County public defender’s office declined to provide any statements.

Records from Marion County court reveal that Howard has been involved in at least three previous crashes and has received numerous traffic tickets dating back to 2006. One of the citations was for crossing the center line. His driver’s license has been suspended on three occasions, with the most recent suspension occurring in 2021 due to accumulating too many citations within a year. In 2013, he was convicted of an undisclosed offense.