At least eight people were killed in a bus crash on a Florida highway Tuesday morning, the Florida Highway Patrol said. According to the Highway Patrol, the bus collided with a pickup truck on State Route 40 in Marion County, located south of Gainesville and northwest of Orlando.
About 40 people, including the truck driver, were transported to area hospitals after the crash, Highway Patrol Lt. Pat Riordan said at a news conference. Some of the injured are in very serious condition, Riordan said.
The crash involved a bus carrying about 53 farm workers and a 2001 Ford Ranger truck, the highway patrol said in a statement to CBS News.
The retired school bus was traveling west on the highway and the van was heading east when the truck headed toward the center line around 6:35 a.m., Riordan said.
The bus and truck collided “sideways,” Riordan said. The collision caused the bus to go off the road and through a fence and into a tree before overturning.
It was not immediately clear why the truck moved toward the center line, Riordan said.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said on social media that the part of the highway where the crash occurred would be closed for most of the day.
The Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. Riordan said investigators will need at least six months to complete the investigation.
This is breaking news. Check back for updates.
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