A man facing DUI manslaughter charges is set to go to trial a day after the one-year anniversary of a crash on West State Road 40 that left 8 dead and over 30 others injured.
On Friday, January 3, 2025, the case against 41-year-old defendant Bryan Maclean Howard was extended by Marion County Judge Peter Matthew Brigham. Court records show that Howard’s trial is now set to begin on Thursday, May 15, 2025, exactly one day after the anniversary of the fatal crash that led to his arrest.
Howard pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include 8 counts of DUI manslaughter and 11 counts of DUI with serious bodily injury to another, in June of 2024.
In the afternoon on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, Howard was arrested by Florida Highway Patrol state troopers for his alleged involvement in a fatal accident near the intersection of W State Road 40 and SW 148th Court.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, at around 6:35 a.m. on the day of the crash, a 2010 International Bus was transporting approximately 53 employees of a local farming company when it was sideswiped by Howard’s 2001 Ford Ranger pickup truck.
After the collision, the bus traveled off the roadway, went through a fence, and overturned.
Dozens of emergency units from the Marion County Fire Rescue, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Ocala Fire Rescue, and other agencies responded to the scene. Throughout the day, authorities released additional details about the incident, including photos from the scene.
The accident led to W SR 40 being shut down from SW 180th Avenue Rd to SW 140th Avenue for hours as officials investigated the scene.
The workers were en route to Cannon Farms, which is located at 11801 SW 180th Avenue in Dunnellon.
In the hours after the accident, a GoFundMe was established by the Farmworker Association of Florida to raise $50,000 for the farmworkers and their families. The fundraiser exceeded that goal, ultimately raising nearly $127,000.
The day after the fatal crash, Howard was arraigned in Marion County Court. He was denied bond due to extensive history of criminal traffic convictions and incidents, including an accident he caused the previous weekend.
Howard appeared at his arraignment covered in bulletproof vests and sporting a bandage around his head. He requested a public defender before answering questions about his self-employment asked by Marion County Judge LeAnn Mackey-Barnes.
Howard told the judge that he was self-employed, that he had $700 in his bank account, and that his business, BHM Maintenance, made about $1,200 a month from painting and drywall work. He told the judge that he had no assets and no dependents before she verified that he qualified for a public defender.
As the arraignment continued, the State Attorney’s Office made a case to deny Howard bond by reading a list of his previous charges into the record.
Marion County jail records show that Howard, who is from Ocala, has been convicted of at least 19 felonies, misdemeanors, and traffic violations over the past 20 years. That includes a suspended license driving conviction, a parole violation, and leaving the scene of a crash, according to county records.
Howard was also allegedly responsible for another accident just three days prior to the fatal crash on May 14, 2024.
During the arraignment hearing on May 15, 2024, the judge took all of Howard’s past transgressions into account.
“Given the nature of the charges, and given the possibility for the pending charges, right now this court is going to hurt you on a no bond on all eight counts, sir,” said Mackey-Barnes. The judge went on to strip Howard of his ability to operate a vehicle or consume alcohol or non-prescription drugs.
“You were in an automobile accident at least three days prior to this accident. You are not allowed to operate a motor vehicle while this case is pending, sir,” said Mackey-Barnes. “And you are not allowed to consume or possess any alcoholic beverages, any controlled substances, or take any kind of prescription drugs without a prescription.”
Howard remains in custody at Marion County Jail while awaiting his trial, which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 15, 2025. In the event that he is convicted of the DUI manslaughter and DUI with serious bodily injury charges, he could receive a sentence of up to life in prison.