Bryan Maclean Howard, 41, of Dunnellon, had his first court appearance hearing Wednesday morning, one day after he was arrested and charged with eight counts of DUI-manslaughter. On Tuesday he was driving the 2001 Ford Ranger pickup that sideswiped a bus full of farmworkers, killing eight and critically injuring eight more.
The Florida Highway Patrol arrested Howard on Tuesday, hours after the fatal crash off State Road 40 West in west Marion County. He was arrested at a local hospital, where he had been taken for treatment. Follow the Star Banner today as we provide live updates on this case.
Candlelight vigil planned for Wednesday night
A candlelight vigil for the crash victims has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at 489 NW 110th Ave.
Cannon Farms in Dunnellon remains closed on Wednesday
This is where the farmworkers were heading when the crash happened on Tuesday.
Reports from the Ocala hospitals
A spokeswoman at Adventhealth Ocala Hospital said of the 16 patients that were taken to her facility, 14 have been discharged. The other two were transferred to another hospital. HCA said of the nine patients it is treating, seven are listed in critical condition and two in stable condition.
— Austin L. Miller
More about the victims
Law enforcement officials have identified at least six of the eight victims. Their ages range from 20 to 46. It's unknown if any of the victim families have been identified.
— Austin L. Miller
Howard's account of what happened after the crash
According to the affidavit, Howard said he got out of the truck and a bystander told him he had been involved in a crash. He said he doesn't remember anything about the crash. He said he wasn't trying to pass anyone, and no one tried to cut him off.
Howard took and failed a field sobriety exercise given to him at the hospital, troopers said. He was arrested and taken to the county jail.
— Austin L. Miller
Man says he was driving to methadone clinic when fatal crash happened
The arrest affidavit in the case has been released. Howard was "non-responsive" at the crash scene and was identified as the driver of the Ford pickup truck, according to the affidavit. His speech was slurred and his eyes were bloodshot and watery.
Howard was taken to Adventhealth Ocala Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. There, he was interviewed by troopers.
According to a summary in the affidavit, Howard told troopers that the night before the crash, he was hanging out with a friend and smoked marijuana oil. He said he took some medication before going to bed between 11:30 p.m. and midnight.
Howard said he woke up about 5 a.m. and left his parents' residence outside of Dunnellon. 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.
He also told them that three days before the deadly crash, he was driving his mother's vehicle when it crashed into a tree. Howard said 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.
— Austin L. Miller
New information about the bus crash deaths
According to the arrest affidavit in the case, seven people died at the crash scene and the eighth died at a hospital.
— Austin L. Miller
More information about the farmworkers on the bus
According to a U.S. Department of Labor H-2A Agricultural Clearance Order, Cannon Farms contracted laborers to work May 1-June 4, six days a week, at $14.77 an hour. It's possible at least some of the farmworkers aboard the bus may have been employed pursuant to that order. Officials said the workers were being transported to Cannon Farms when the crash happened.
— Kate Cimini
More details about Bryan Maclean Howard's court appearance on Wednesday
The Marion County Jail apparently has placed Howard on suicide watch. He was wearing a green protective gown that such inmates wear. No details have been provided.
During his court appearance Wednesday, Howard stood in the jail's courtroom area and spoke via Zoom to the judge, who was at the courthouse. He answered the judge's questions and made no additional statements.
Media members were in the courtroom monitoring the hearing. Aside from them and court personnel, the courtroom was empty.
— Austin L. Miller
Judge: No bail for man accused in crash that killed 8 farmworkers
Howard remained at the Marion County Jail for his Wednesday morning court appearance. He was in the jail's courtroom and appeared via Zoom in front of County Judge LeAnn Mackey-Barnes, who was at the Marion County Judicial Center.
Mackey-Barnes read aloud the charges that Howard faces. An assistant public defender, Tracya N. Smith, was at the judicial center and was appointed to represent Howard. Assistant State Attorney Lillian Rozsa also was at the judicial center for the hearing.
Howard told the judge he has no dependents and has been self-employed doing painting and drywall the past seven or eight months. Howard told the judge he has no assets and $700 in the bank.
Rozsa asked the court to withhold bail for Howard, due to his criminal history, the number of deaths and injuries in the case, and the potential for more criminal charges.
The prosecutor further said that three days before this crash, Howard was involved in another day and left that scene. She did not immediately provide additional details.
Smith, the public defender, said there was no indication her client would fail to appear for future court appearances if granted bail. She also said he would abide by any of the court's rules.
The judge, citing the nature of the charges, Howard's prior history and the crash that the prosecutor mentioned, decided to hold Howard without bail. His next court date, an arraignment, will be at 9 a.m. June 18.
— Austin L. Miller
Arrested driver has a traffic record
As the Star Banner reported on Tuesday, records on file with the Marion County court clerk show that between 2004 and 2019 Howard was cited for numerous traffic-related offenses, including failure to wear 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.
More crash coverage:Driver in pickup who collided in Florida bus crash that killed 8 arrested. Here's what we know
Howard also has been convicted of possessing drug paraphernalia and grand theft.
— Austin L. Miller and Jim Ross
