Three dead and 12 injured in accident on the Via Dutra highway.
The accident occurred when a passenger van – full of passengers – collided with the rear of a truck, around 5 am, near Jardim América, in the Baixada Fluminense region; the deceased have been identified as the van driver, Geraldo S. Guimarães, 53 years old, Lucimar Maria Macedo Barbosa Apolinário, 46 years old, and a man who has not yet been identified.
Rio Agency - Three people died and 12 were injured in a serious accident involving a truck and a van on the Presidente Dutra Highway, near Jardim América, in Baixada Fluminense, heading towards Rio, on Friday morning (3). Four people are in serious condition, according to the concessionaire that manages the road.
The accident occurred when the passenger van – which was full – collided with the rear of the truck, around 5 am, and the deceased were identified as the van driver, Geraldo S. Guimarães, 53 years old, Lucimar Maria Macedo Barbosa Apolinário, 46 years old, and a man who has not yet been identified, according to information from the Fire Department.
According to the Nova Dutra concessionaire, the victims, four of whom are in serious condition, were taken to the Posse Hospital in Nova Iguaçu, in the Baixada Fluminense region, and to the Getulio Vargas Hospital in Penha. Five other people suffered moderate injuries. The vehicles were traveling towards Rio de Janeiro when they collided in the central lane of the highway.
At 7:40 AM, the highway still had one lane and the shoulder blocked, causing 7 km of congestion on both the express and local lanes. The slowdown stretched from km 171 to km 164. There was no estimate at that time for when the other two lanes would be reopened. The causes of the accident are still under investigation.