A bus carrying farmworkers was involved in a crash in Florida on Tuesday morning, leaving at least eight people dead and 38 others hospitalized, authorities said.
The 2010 International Bus was carrying nearly 50 workers around 6:30 a.m. when the vehicle collided with a 2001 Ford Ranger pickup truck in "a sideswiped manner" on West State Road 40 in Marion County, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the two vehicles to collide.
After the collision, the bus careened off the road and plowed through a fence before overturning.
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Of those hospitalized, eight people were critically injured, while 30 others were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the pickup was also hospitalized with serious injuries, officials said.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods confirmed during a news conference that the bus was carrying migrant workers, which he said was common in the agricultural county.
The bus was taking the workers to Cannon Farms in Dunnellon when the fatal crash occurred, officials said.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said West Highway 40 was closed due to a "severe accident with fatalities," and advised drivers to take an alternate route.
The FHP is leading the investigation. FHP Lt. Pat Riordan said the investigation would be "lengthy," with no conclusion expected for at least six months.
