8 dead, at least 40 injured as farmworkers’ bus overturns in central Florida

OCALA, Fla. — A bus carrying farm workers in central Florida overturned Tuesday, killing eight people and injuring about 40 other passengers, authorities said.

The bus was carrying 53 farm workers when it collided with a truck in Marion County, north of Orlando, the Florida Highway Patrol said.

Authorities say the bus veered off the road. He crashed through a fence and ended up on his side in a field. The workers were transported to Cannon Farms in Dunellon, where watermelons were being harvested.

“We will be closed today out of respect for the losses and injuries we suffered early this morning in the accident that occurred at the Olvera Trucking Harvesting Corp.,” Cannon Farms announced on its Facebook page. “Please join us in praying for the families and loved ones involved in this tragic accident. We appreciate your understanding during this difficult time.”

Cannon Farms describes itself as a family-owned commercial business that has farmed its land for more than 100 years and now focuses on peanuts and watermelons, which it sends to supermarkets in the US and Canada.