TWO NEWS ON CW 18 STARTS NOW. TONIGHT. TRAGEDY IN MARION COUNTY. EIGHT PEOPLE DEAD, 45 OTHERS HURT AFTER A BUS CARRYING FARM WORKERS GET SIDESWIPED AND GOES OFF THE ROAD. NOW WE ARE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE DRIVER ACCUSED OF CAUSING THE WRECK. WE HAVE TEAM COVERAGE ON THIS TRAGIC STORY. WESH 2’S GAIL PASCHALL-BROWN IS LEADING US OFF WITH A CLOSER LOOK AT HIS CRIMINAL HISTORY, AND SHE HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEAR THE CRASH SITE. THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL SAYS IT IS CONDUCTING A MASSIVE TRAFFIC HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION AFTER A CRASH INVOLVING A PICKUP TRUCK AND A BUS. EIGHT PEOPLE WERE KILLED, 45 OTHERS WERE INJURED. THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL SAYS THIS WHITE BUS CARRYING 53 FARM WORKERS, WAS TRAVELING WEST ON HIGHWAY 40 NEAR 148TH COURT IN MARION COUNTY. THE DRIVER OF THIS FORD PICKUP WAS GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, AND THEN THAT VEHICLE, FOR ONE KNOWN REASONS, TRAVELED TOWARD THE CENTER LINE AND THE VEHICLES HAD A COLLISION OF A SIDE SWIPE TYPE MANNER, HE SAYS. THE BUS THEN TRAVELED OFF THE ROADWAY THROUGH A FENCE, STRUCK A TREE, AND THEN OVERTURNED. NEIGHBORS CAME OUT AND TOOK PICTURES OF THE SCENE. THEY WERE VERY CONCERNED. WE WERE WORRIED MY FRIEND BACK THERE, AND HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT HIS KID. THE BUS THAT NOTHING HAPPENED TO THE BUS. HE INITIALLY THOUGHT IT WAS A SCHOOL BUS. IT WAS A RETIRED SCHOOL BUS CARRYING FARM WORKERS TO CANNON FARMS IN DUNNELLON. MY HEART BLEEDS FOR THEM. MY HEART GOES OUT TO THEM. I PRAY THAT THE GOOD LORD WILL GIVE THEM WHATEVER PEACE THAT HE CAN TO MAKE THEM THROUGH THIS STATE TROOPERS ARRESTED THE DRIVER OF THE FORD PICKUP. HE IS 41 YEAR OLD BRIAN HOWARD. HOWARD IS CHARGED WITH EIGHT COUNTS OF DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE. DUI MANSLAUGHTER, COURT RECORDS SHOW. SINCE 2003, HE HAS BEEN CONVICTED 20 TIMES, ALL BUT THREE OF THOSE CASES ON TRAFFIC OFFENSES. THOSE INCLUDE DRIVING WITH A SUSPENDED REVOKED LICENSE, LEAVING THE SCENE OF A CRASH AND LEAVING THE SCENE OF A CRASH WITH PROPERTY DAMAGE. FHP SAYS THE IDENTITIES OF THE DECEASED WILL BE RELEASED PENDING NOTIFICATION OF KIN. I’M GAIL PASCHALL-BROWN IN MARION COUNTY FOR WESH TWO NEWS. THE FARM WORKERS ARE HEADING TO CANNON FARMS IN DUNNELLON. IT’S A FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED BUSINESS THAT HAS BEEN A STAPLE IN THE AREA FOR YEARS. THE FARM WAS CLOSED TODAY. A SIGN OUT FRONT SAYS IT’S OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE VICTIMS FAMILIES. THE DOZENS OF FARM WORKERS WHO WERE ON THAT BUS WERE HEADING THERE TO HARVEST CROPS THAT ARE IN SEASON ONE. CUSTOMER DESCRIBES HOW SHE FELT WHEN SHE CAME TO THE FARM TO SHOP, ONLY TO FIND OUT WHY THEY HAD TO CLOSE. OH, JUST SADNESS. SADNESS THAT THAT IS JUST SO, SO DEVASTATING TO SO MANY PEOPLE. THE OWNERS OF CANNON FARM SAID THAT THEY ARE TOO DEVASTATED TO TALK, AND A VOICEMAIL FROM THE FARM. THEY SAID TO PRAY FOR THE FAMILIES INVOLVED AND OUR WESH TWO TEAM COVERAGE CONTINUES NOW WITH PAOLA TRISTAN ARUDA. SHE’S JOINING US LIVE IN STUDIO AND PAOLA. WE’RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE VICTIMS AND WHERE THEY WERE TAKEN AFTER THE DEADLY CRASH. YEAH, MICHELLE, WE’VE JUST LEARNED THAT THOSE FARM WORKERS WERE STAYING AT A DAYS INN IN GAINESVILLE, AND THAT’S THE CITY WHERE THEY STARTED THEIR DRIVE FROM BEFORE THAT DEADLY CRASH IN OCALA. AND TONIGHT, SOME OF THEM ARE STILL CRITICALLY INJURED. DOZENS WERE HOSPITALIZED TUESDAY AFTER A BUS AND A PICKUP COLLIDED ON STATE ROAD 40, IN OCALA. THE BUS WAS CARRYING 53 FARM WORKERS WHO WERE ON THEIR WAY TO CANNON FARMS. EIGHT PEOPLE WERE KILLED, THE OTHERS INJURED. SOME WENT TO LOCAL HOSPITALS LIKE HCA IN OCALA AND WEST MARION. PATIENTS WERE ALSO SENT TO ADVENTHEALTH, WHERE CHAPLAINS HELPED PROVIDE SERVICES IN SPANISH. THE PATIENTS THAT WE SPOKE WITH WERE WERE IN GOOD SPIRITS FOR WHAT THEY’VE BEEN THROUGH, SO WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE AND, UH, SUPPORT A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE FARM WORKER ASSOCIATION OF FLORIDA, AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS BEEN ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH FAMILY OF ONE OF THE VICTIMS, SAYS THOSE WORKERS WERE FROM MEXICO ON A VISA, A NONIMMIGRANT VISA, WHICH ALLOWS WORKERS MOSTLY FROM MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA, SOMETIMES HAITI, DIFFERENT COUNTRIES TO COME AND WORK IN AGRICULTURE. THESE WORKERS ARE PRETTY MUCH IN THE SHADOWS OF OUR SOCIETY. THE MEXICAN CONSULATE IN ORLANDO HAS BEEN PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR THESE WORKERS, AND NOW WE’RE LEARNING A LITTLE MORE ABOUT SOME OF THEM. I TALKED WITH TWO GUYS, UH, ONE IS 22 YEARS OLD. ANOTHER IS, UH, 32 OR 33. THE BOTH ARE FATHERS OF OF LITTLE GIRLS WE LOST, UH, HERE POSE FOR US BECAUSE THEY SUPPORT THE FOOD PRODUCTS HERE AND THEIR FAMILY IN MEXICO. IT’S VERY IT’S DOUBLE TRAGEDY IN THIS CASE. OFFICIALS WITH THE CONSULATE SAY THE NEXT STEPS WILL BE TO MAKE SURE THE WORKERS RECEIVE THEIR WAGES FROM THE COMPANY THEY WERE HIRED TO WORK FOR, AND TO PROVIDE LEGAL SUPPORT FOR ALL INVOLVED. THEY SAY THE COMMUNITY CAN ALSO HELP BY PRAYING FOR THE VICTIMS, AND THE FARM WORKER ASSOCIATION HAS ALSO STARTED A GOFUNDME FOR THE VICTIMS WILL HAVE A LINK TO THAT ON OUR WEBSITE WESH DOT COM. THERE WILL ALSO BE A VIGIL FOR THEM TOMORROW NIGHT IN OCALA. BACK TO YOU, PAULA. THANK YOU. THE CENTRAL FLORIDA CHAPTER OF MOTHERS AGAINST DRUNK DRIVING ARE. MADD IS OFFERING SERVICES FOLLOWING THE HORRIFIC CRASH. ANY FAMILY MEMBERS OF LOVED ONES KILLED OR PEOPLE HURT IN THE CRASH CAN. CALL (877) 275-6233. THERE IS FINANCIAL SUPPORT, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND ADVISORS WHO HELP AND WILL WALK VICTIMS THROUGH THIS TRAGEDY AND GET THEM THE RESOURCES THEY NEED. YOU CAN ALSO FIND THAT NUMBER INSIDE OF WESH DOT COM. NOW THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A CASE THAT OFFICIALS TELL US WILL TAKE MONTHS TO INVESTIGATE. YOU CAN STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST DETAILS BY DOWNLOADING THE WESH TWO NEWS APP. OUR TEAM IS KEEPING IT AND WESH.COM