Hendry County, FL : 19 hurt when car hits bus on Immokalee Road in Hendry County on Monday morning, September 22, 2014
More than 15 Immokalee farm workers were treated and released from the hospital after a car slammed into their bus, head-on.
The crash happened early Monday morning on Immokalee Road in Hendry County. Parts of the bus including a front axel and a tire remained on the scene - examples of the impact that left one person in the I-C-U.
Joseph Augustus, 46, was driving a silver Nissan when the driver's side hit the front of the bus.
Augustus is in Lee Memorial Hospital in critical condition. According to FHP, Augustus crossed into the lane occupied by the bus, causing the crash.
Frances Estrada, mother of a farm worker arrived at the scene a short time later.
"My son was one of the workers on the bus, yeah," said Frances Estrada.
She said her son called after the crash. She arrived on scene before he was taken away with minor injuries.
"I'm glad he's alive and I got to talk to him," said Frances.
JPM-RDP Farms supervisor Cory Corbitt tells us his 46 workers were only minutes from their job site.
"Actually we farm right there. This is the first one we've ever had," said Corbitt.
According to the FHP, the bus driver has a proper license. The 26-year-old bus is not required to have seatbelts for its passengers.
Investigators say there are 11 rows on the bus and now they are trying to determine if the bus was over capacity.
Lt. Greg Bueno with the Florida Highway Patrol says there was quite a bit of traffic Monday morning and the crash can serve as a life-saving reminder.
"It reminds us of all to keep two eyes on the road, two hands on the wheel, and our mind on driving at all times," said Lt. Bueno.
Source :
Car crashes into bus full of farmworkers in Hendry