FL Bus Crash Victims Identified

MARION COUNTY, FL — Six of the eight farm workers killed Tuesday morning in a Marion County bus crash at West Highway 40 have been identified, the Associated Press reported late Wednesday night.

A 2010 International Bus was transporting 53 workers to a farm when it crashed about 6:35 a.m. Tuesday at West Highway 40 in Marion County north of Orlando, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The crash happened after the bus was sideswiped by a 2001 Ford Ranger pickup truck, sending the bus through a fence and causing it to overturn after hitting a tree.

Those killed in the crash were identified as Evarado Ventura Hernández, 30; Cristian Salazar Villeda, 24; Alfredo Tovar Sánchez, 20; Isaías Miranda Pascal, 21; José Heriberto Fraga Acosta, 27; and Manuel Pérez Ríos, 46, per the Associated Press.

Two of the victims' names have not yet been released. One of the victims reportedly left behind a young daughter.

The Farmworker Association of Florida in Apopka on Wednesday held a vigil for the deceased, and the nonprofit is also helping to raise money for their families. As of early Thursday morning, more than $70,000 of a GoFundMe's $80,000 goal had been raised.

"Farmworkers tend to be forgotten, but it's important not to forget farmworkers, especially during such difficult times," the Farmworker Association said in the GoFundMe.

RELATED: Driver In Fatal Bus Crash Was In Another Wreck 3 Days Before: Report

Authorities identified Bryan Maclean Howard, 41, of Ocala, as the driver of the pickup truck and charged him on suspicion of eight counts of driving under the influence-manslaughter in connection with the bus crash.

He is being held at the Marion County Jail without bond, jail records show. If convicted, Howard is facing a mandatory minimum of four years in prison, according to Florida statutes.

Howard's driving record was a factor in a Florida judge's decision to keep Howard incarcerated, NBC News reported. Howard was accused of being involved in a crash in his mother's car three days before the fatal bus crash, the outlet reported.

RELATED: 8 Manslaughter Charges Filed In FL Bus Crash: 8 Dead, 45 Workers Hurt

Since 2006, Howard has been involved in at least three crashes and has received several traffic tickets, the Associated Press reported, citing court records. The news outlet reported his license was suspended at least three times.

Howard was also convicted of grand theft in 2013, and when he tested positive for cocaine a year later, his probation was revoked, the Associated Press reported.

He is set to appear in court on June 18, NBC News reported.