Brazil Holiday Road Crashes: Bus Rollover Probed, BMW Driver Admits Drinking

Overview

• A coach traveling from São Paulo to Olímpia overturned on an SP-326 access ramp in Jaboticabal around 6 a.m. on Dec. 24, killing a 30-year-old woman and a 3-year-old girl and injuring about 38.
• Operator Grandino says the bus was off its usual route and at high speed; both drivers tested negative for alcohol and one reported memory loss as Civil Police await technical reports to determine cause.
• At least five seriously injured passengers were transferred to regional hospitals, and the access ramp remained closed until late morning on Dec. 24.
• In Reginópolis, a BMW struck a family’s car from behind on the Hilário Spuri Jorge highway, causing a fire that killed five; the 28-year-old driver told police he had been drinking after a dispute, refused a breath test, and is under a police inquiry.
• Separate Christmas-period crashes killed and injured motorists and cyclists in Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rio Grande do Norte, and São Paulo, with PRF and local authorities investigating circumstances and driver conduct.