WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) 鈥� In San Miguel Almolonga, a rural farming community in Mexico, a mourning family recited prayers while grieving the loss of a father who came to Florida under a temporary visa to support his family.
Yamilet P茅rez R铆os, the 14-year-old daughter of Manuel P茅rez R铆os, wept as she said she is now left without her father, who died in a north of Orlando, Florida.
鈥淗e went to seek a better life for me, for my mother, a week ago, and now they say my dad is dead,鈥� she said.
Manuel P茅rez R铆os, 46, was one of Tuesday on the way to a watermelon patch at Cannon Farms in Dunnellon. He was a father of four children and had four grandchildren.
Early Tuesday, , 41, crossed the center line of State Road 40 in his 2001 Ford Ranger and sideswiped a bus carrying 53 farmworkers, which then veered the bus of the two-lane road. The bus hit a tree and rolled over. Howard failed several sobriety tests and was arrested, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
The Tuesday morning bus crash is still . On Wednesday morning, Howard pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence-manslaughter charges in the deaths of eight farmworkers.
Marion County court records show Howard has had at least three crashes and numerous traffic tickets dating back to 2006, including one citation for crossing the center line. His license has been suspended at least three times, the latest in 2021 for getting too many citations within a year. In 2013, he was convicted of grand theft. A year later, his probation was revoked after he tested positive for cocaine.
The crash injured dozens of farmworkers, who were hired by a Mexican-American farmer to work on the watermelon farm under temporary or seasonal visas. About 16 farmworkers were taken to Adventhealth Ocala. Lauren Rozyla, a spokesperson for the facility, said 14 were discharged on Tuesday, and the remaining two were transferred to other facilities.
Dash and body camera video from a Marion County deputy showed dazed farmworkers standing in the field and several injured lying near the bus, as firefighters and paramedics went inside the large overturned vehicle.
Manuel P茅rez R铆os was among six dead who have been identified, with two farmworkers remaining unidentified: Evarado Ventura Hern谩ndez, 30; Cristian Salazar Villeda, 24; Alfredo Tovar S谩nchez, 20; Isa铆as Miranda Pascal, 21; and Jos茅 Heriberto Fraga Acosta, 27.
About 44 Mexican citizens were on the bus earlier this week, said Mexican President Andr茅s Manuel L贸pez Obrador on Wednesday. Sim贸n P茅rez Cabrera, the father of Manuel P茅rez R铆os, said that his family was poor and lived off farm work, which is why his son went to the United States to work.
Magdalena Rios, wife of Manuel P茅rez R铆os, said this was her husband鈥檚 first trip to do farm work under a temporary visa in the United States.
鈥淗e had lots of hopes. He wanted to work,鈥� Magdalena Rios said.
Gamaliel Marcel, of Tallahassee, said Wednesday that he was childhood friends with Salazar Villeda in Mexico. Marcel said Salazar Villeda was married in March and had a 5-year-old daughter.
鈥淚 feel so bad, especially because I knew him my whole life,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e was always the most respectful, but brought out a smile when you needed it.鈥�
Evarado Ventura Hern谩ndez鈥檚 mother, Rosalina Hern谩ndez Mart铆nez, said Wednesday that her son had told her the work he did on Florida farms was 鈥渧ery hard,鈥� but that he was happy.
鈥淚t hurts,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 piece of my heart is gone.鈥�
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Jos茅 Mar铆a 脕lvarez reported from San Miguel Almolonga, Mexico, in southern Oaxaca state.
Stephany Matat And Jos茅 Mar铆a 脕lvarez, The Associated Press
