The driver of the bitrem truck left the Teófilo Otoni police station on Monday night (23), after giving testimony about the accident that left 41 people dead last Saturday (21), also involving a bus and a passenger vehicle, on BR-116, in Minas Gerais.
Upon leaving the police station, the driver covered his face and did not make any statements.
Lawyer Raony Scheffer, who accompanied him, denied that the driver had his National Driving License (CNH) suspended and said that he was traveling within the permitted speed limit.
According to the lawyer, the accident occurred after the bus tire burst. “The bus collided with the britrem semi-trailer. The bus was out of control.”
The name of the driver and the truck company were not released.
Regarding the driver having fled the scene of the accident, the lawyer presented the following justification: “He [motorista] panicked when he saw the severity of the accident. He was also concerned about his personal protection and left the place because he was unable to provide any type of assistance.”
“Nothing has been proven regarding overloading. He [motorista] He is not a defendant, there is no decision ordering arrest. He was not arrested and was released to respond to the investigation in freedom”, concluded the lawyer.
The accident
The accident occurred after a collision between a twin-train trailer and a bus, which caught fire and subsequently exploded, according to the PRF.
The bus, from Viação Emtram, came from São Paulo and was destined for Elísio Medrado, in Bahia. The accident was reported at around 4am.
Initially, firefighters said the bus had lost control due to a burst tire. However, the PRF is also analyzing the possibility that the accident was caused by a granite block falling from the truck.
Shortly after the bus was hit, a Fiat Argo car crashed into the truck. The three members of the passenger vehicle were rescued alive.
According to the Legal Medical Institute (IML) of Teófilo Otoni, the total number of bodies recovered was 39. The majority of the bodies were charred, making identification difficult. Subsequently, 41 deaths were confirmed.
The bus carried 45 passengers in total.
This content was originally published in Truck driver in accident with 41 deaths in MG leaves police station; lawyer justifies escape: “Worried about protection” on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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