1990 — Jan 24, Farm worker Van goes in Canal on curve in fog, near Clewiston, FL — 10

 

— 10  Hawk Eye, Burlington, IA. “10 Killed, 2 Hurt in Van Accident.” 1-24-1990, p. 5B.

— 10  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. FARS 1975-2010 Fatality Analysis.

— 10  New York Times. “10 Farm Workers Die in Van Plunge.” 1-25-1990.

— 10  Robesonian, Lumberton, NC. “Van Plunges into Canal; 10 Killed.” 1-25-1990, p. 8A.

 

Narrative Information

 

Jan 24, AP: “Clewiston, Fla. (AP) – A can carrying farm workers ran off a rural road and slid into a canal today, killing 10 people and injuring two, authorities said.  ‘All of them were still in the van when we got there,’ said sheriff’s Lt. Bill Chamness.  ‘They were drowned.’  The driver and a front-seat passenger survived, but nine males and one female died after the van ran off the foggy road at a curve and into the canal about six miles south of this Lake Okeechobee farm community, Chamness said.  ‘We think it was probably due to dense for,’ he said.”  (Hawk Eye, Burlington, IA. “10 Killed, 2 Hurt in Van Accident.” 1-24-1990, 5B.)

 

Jan 25, AP: “Clewiston, Fla. (AP) – The driver of a panel van carrying Mexican farm workers escaped but 10 others died after the vehicle plummeted over a curve and into a fog-shrouded canal, authorities said.  No charges were filed by early today, but authorities said the driver, Rentilio Escobedo, 28, remained under investigation.  Fines were possible, too, if the vehicle is found unsuitable for transporting laborers.  “It’s like something out of a scary movie,” said Fernando Lupo, a migrant worker in La Belle, where most of the victims lived. “I cannot think of a worse way to die.”

 

“The 1979 van apparently was en route to citrus groves when Escobedo failed to make a sharp curve in the dense fog and plowed into the 12-foot-deep canal, surrounded by sugar cane fields about 100 miles north of Miami.

 

“Escobedo apparently escaped out the driver’s side door, but his wife, Manuela, died in the passenger seat.  His 50-year-old uncle, Nicolas Escobedo, managed to squeeze out the rear doors, police said.  Neither man was seriously injured.  The van was submerged about 15 minutes before rescuers received word Wednesday morning, police said.  “Some of them had stuck their arms out trying to get out, but they just didn’t make it,” said sheriff’s Lt. Bill Chamness. “When the deputies dove in to get them, they were already dead.”

 

“The bodies of the nine men and one woman, ranging from age 16 to 37, were taken to Fort Myers for autopsies.  Police withheld their names early today pending notification of relatives in Mexico.  Police initially speculated the accident occurred because of the fog, but the driver told investigators he lost control because the steering failed.”  (Robesonian, Lumberton, NC. “Van Plunges into Canal; 10 Killed.” 1-25-1990, p. 8A.)

 

Jan 25, NYT: “A van carrying farm workers plunged off a curve and into a canal in heavy fog here this morning, drowning 10 migrants from Mexico….

 

“”We think it was probably due to dense fog,” Lieutenant Chamness said. ”In the accident area, there’s a curve. Evidently they got on the curve quicker than they thought, and instead of turning they went straight into the canal.”….The driver ”made no attempt to turn,” he said, ”and he’s driven this road many times.”….

 

“Lieutenant Chamness said the van had gone straight for 50 yards instead of making the curve on a county road about six miles south of this Lake Okeechobee farm community about 100 miles northwest of Miami. The road cuts through a sugar cane district intersected by irrigation and drainage canals, he said.

 

“The accident occurred about 7:30 A.M., but the sheriff’s office did not receive word until 7:46. The surviving passenger, Nicolas Escobedo, 50 years old, said the accident ”happened very fast.”

”We were on the road,” he said, ”and then the next I knew we were under water.”

 

“Mr. Escobedo said that all the workers had been living in nearby LaBelle and that many were related. Eleanor Hough, spokeswoman at Hendry General Hospital here, said the driver’s wife was one of the victims.”  (New York Times. “10 Farm Workers Die in Van Plunge.” 1-25-1990.)

 

Sources

 

Hawk Eye, Burlington, IA. “10 Killed, 2 Hurt in Van Accident.” 1-24-1990, 5B. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/burlington-hawk-eye/1990-01-24/page-15/

 

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Partial Data Dump of Crashes Involving 10 or More Fatalities, by Year, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 1975-2009 Final and 2010 ARF. Washington, DC: NHTSA, pdf file provided to Wayne Blanchard, 1-26-2012.

 

New York Times. “10 Farm Workers Die in Van Plunge.” 1-25-1990. Accessed 5-2-2016 at:  http://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/25/us/10-farm-workers-die-in-van-plunge.html

 

Robesonian, Lumberton, NC. “Van Plunges into Canal; 10 Killed.” 1-25-1990, p. 8. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/robesonian/1990-01-25/page-8/