Head-On Crash on BR-230 Kills Six, Injures 15

Overview

• A van carrying cancer patients from Itaporanga collided head-on with a pickup on BR-230 between Soledade and Juazeirinho early Tuesday, leaving six people dead and 15 injured.
• Police reports say the van held about 18 people and the pickup had two occupants; four van passengers and both pickup occupants died.
• The Hospital de Trauma de Campina Grande received 15 victims, including two children aged 2 and 4 who are in grave condition after emergency procedures.
• The Polícia Rodoviária Federal is treating a possible invasion of the opposite lane by the van as the primary hypothesis, and investigators are awaiting technical forensic reports to confirm the cause.
• Local officials and media have named several victims and the Prefeitura de Itaporanga issued a note of condolence while the crash raises questions about the safety of medical transport on regional highways.