This is the moment a bus crashes side-on into a horse and cart, knocking the animal to the ground and sending its driver flying.

The incident took place in the neighbourhood of Farolandia in the city of Aracaju in the Brazilian state of Sergipe.

CCTV footage of the incident shows how the driver of the cart seemingly fails to observe a large sign reading ‘PARE’ (‘STOP’) ahead of him and crosses the junction without slowing his animal down.

The footage shows how the driver notices the oncoming bus at the last minute but is not able to do anything to stop the imminent collision that sends him flying through the air, hitting the overturning cart and then landing on the road with a thud.

Despite the apparent severity of the incident, the horse sustained only minor injuries, according to people at the scene.

Despite the driver’s fall appearing even worse than his horse’s, he also escaped with just minor injuries, according to those who saw the accident.

The Municipal Superintendence of Urban Transportation of Aracaju has highlighted in a statement the importance of observing road signs.

It said: “Respecting signage is essential for avoiding accidents, as is respecting the maximum speed limit on the road.”

It also said a technical team would be dispatched to the site to determine if the existing signage is adequate or if it needs to be reinforced.

The identities of the cart driver and the bus driver were not reported, and it was not stated if the police got involved.