A report from the Medical-Legal Institute (IML) indicates that the driver arrested for causing a car to fall into the Tamanduateí River in São Paulo was drunk. The result was confirmed to UOL by the São Paulo state Public Security Secretariat (SSP). The crash involved three vehicles and left a 59-year-old man dead.
The collision happened at around 4:50 a.m. on Monday, May 25, on Avenida do Estado. According to information from the Military Police and the Fire Department, the accident occurred near number 100 in the Sé district, under the Radial Leste viaduct.
Investigators said a Fiat Fastback was traveling at high speed and made an illegal turn on the bridge. It then struck the side of a black Volkswagen Gol. After the impact, the driver lost control of the vehicle and hit another car, which ended up falling into the river upside down, with its wheels facing upward, according to the SSP.
The man who died was 59 years old. Authorities arrested the driver responsible for the crash, and the IML report pointed to alcohol intoxication as a factor in the incident. The case adds to concerns about reckless driving and drunk driving in one of São Paulo’s busiest central areas.
Emergency teams were called to the scene shortly after the crash. The road, which carries heavy traffic through the city center, saw a serious disruption as responders worked at the site of the collision and the vehicle that plunged into the water.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances of the crash, including the sequence of impacts and the driver’s actions before the collision. The official findings so far indicate that excessive speed, an illegal maneuver, and alcohol use were involved in the fatal accident.
