A bus carrying 48 pilgrims from the state of Minas Gerais to Aparecida, São Paulo, fell into a ravine on highway SP-052 near Cruzeiro at around 5:15 a.m. on Sunday, September 20. Six people died and dozens were injured. Investigators found that the vehicle’s operating permit from Brazil’s National Land Transportation Agency (ANTT) had expired at the time of the trip.
How it happened
According to the driver, Lammounier Domingos Botelho Naves, the brakes failed while descending a mountainous stretch of highway, causing him to lose control. The bus fell about 15 meters (50 feet) before hitting a tree. The injured were taken to hospitals in Cruzeiro, Lorena and Guaratinguetá.
Irregularities found
Beyond the expired ANTT permit, police found worn tires and possible tachograph irregularities on the bus, which belonged to Meteoro Transportes Coletivos Ltda. A video recorded in July already showed the same bus with visibly worn tires, and investigators also found signs the bus may have been speeding at the time of the crash.
Naves, who organized the pilgrimage trip through his company, Botelho Viagens, was arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide after receiving medical treatment.
The case remains under investigation by São Paulo’s Civil Police.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.