In the rural farming community of San Miguel Almolonga, Mexico, a family mourns the loss of Manuel Pérez Ríos, a father who had journeyed to Florida on a temporary visa to support his loved ones. As prayers were recited, his 14-year-old daughter, Yamilet Pérez Ríos, wept, struggling to comprehend the sudden absence of her father, who perished in a tragic bus crash north of Orlando, Florida.
“He went to seek a better life for me, for my mother, a week ago, and now they say my dad is dead,” she lamented.
Manuel Pérez Ríos, 46, was one of eight farmworkers killed on Tuesday while en route to a watermelon field at Cannon Farms in Dunnellon. The crash has left a profound void in the lives of his four children and four grandchildren.
The tragic incident unfolded early Tuesday morning when Bryan Howard, 41, crossed the center line of State Road 40 in his 2001 Ford Ranger, sideswiping a bus carrying 53 farmworkers. This caused the bus to veer off the two-lane road, hit a tree, and roll over. Howard, who failed several sobriety tests, was subsequently arrested, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The accident, which injured dozens of farmworkers, is under investigation. On Wednesday morning, Howard pleaded not guilty to charges of driving under the influence-manslaughter in the deaths of the eight farmworkers.
Marion County court records reveal a troubling history for Howard, who has been involved in at least three crashes and received numerous traffic tickets since 2006, including a citation for crossing the center line. His driver’s license has been suspended at least three times, most recently in 2021 due to accumulating too many citations within a year. Additionally, in 2013, he was convicted of grand theft, and the following year, his probation was revoked after testing positive for cocaine.
The crash severely impacted the community of Mexican-American farmworkers, who were employed under temporary or seasonal visas. Sixteen of them were taken to AdventHealth Ocala, with 14 discharged on Tuesday and two transferred to other facilities, according to facility spokesperson Lauren Rozyla.
Dash and body camera footage from a Marion County deputy captured the chaotic aftermath, showing dazed farmworkers standing in the field and injured individuals lying near the overturned bus as emergency responders worked to assist them.
Among the deceased, Manuel Pérez Ríos was one of six who have been identified, while two others remain unidentified. The identified victims include Evarado Ventura Hernández, 30; Cristian Salazar Villeda, 24; Alfredo Tovar Sánchez, 20; Isaías Miranda Pascal, 21; and José Heriberto Fraga Acosta, 27.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador acknowledged the tragedy, noting that about 44 Mexican citizens were on the bus. Simón Pérez Cabrera, the father of Manuel Pérez Ríos, reflected on the poverty and reliance on farm work that drove his son to seek employment in the United States.
“This was his first trip to do farm work under a temporary visa,” said Magdalena Ríos, Manuel’s widow. “He had lots of hopes. He wanted to work.”
Gamaliel Marcel, a resident of Tallahassee, expressed his sorrow over the loss of his childhood friend, Cristian Salazar Villeda, who was recently married and had a 5-year-old daughter. “I feel so bad, especially because I knew him my whole life,” Marcel said. “He was always the most respectful but brought out a smile when you needed it.”
Rosalina Hernández Martínez, the mother of Evarado Ventura Hernández, shared her pain and pride in her son’s hard work. “He told me the work he did on Florida farms was ‘very hard,’ but he was happy,” she said. “It hurts. A piece of my heart is gone.”
The devastating crash has highlighted the precarious conditions faced by migrant farmworkers in the U.S., who often endure grueling labor to support their families back home. The incident has also cast a spotlight on the systemic issues within the transportation and legal systems, given Howard’s extensive history of traffic violations and criminal behavior.
In the wake of the tragedy, calls for better protection and working conditions for migrant workers have intensified. Advocacy groups emphasize the need for comprehensive reforms to ensure the safety and well-being of those who are integral to the agricultural industry.
As the Pérez Ríos family and others in San Miguel Almolonga mourn their profound loss, the community rallies together, sharing in grief and remembrance. Manuel’s legacy, like that of his fellow workers, underscores the sacrifices made by migrant laborers and the urgent need for systemic change to prevent such tragedies in the future.