This is the moment a coach collides head-on with a falling trailer carrying timber travelling in the opposite direction, killing twelve.
The horrific crash took place on a stretch of the BR-101 motorway close to the city of Eunapolis in the south of the north-eastern Brazilian state of Bahia on the night of Wednesday, 29th September.
The footage was captured by the camera at the front of the coach and it shows the moment the vehicle collides with a falling trailer carrying a large bundle of eucalyptus logs as it travels around a curve in the road.
The collision resulted in 12 deaths including those of Ana Aline dos Santos, 25, and her daughters, Safira Nascimento, 10, and Samiry Nascimento, aged one year and five months, who died hugging each other.
The lorry driver, whose identity was not divulged, was released after giving his statement to the police on the morning of Friday, 1st October.
On the previous day, one of his lawyers said he had fled the scene without helping the victims because he was afraid of being lynched by witnesses and survivors.
He also said his client did not call for help because he had no phone signal at the time.
The police in Eunapolis are investigating the case, and they will ascertain whether or not the available evidence corresponds with the lorry driver’s version of events.
Eduardo Foca, another lawyer representing the suspect, said on Friday that his client was not exceeding the speed limit at the time and that his vehicle maintenance was fully up to date.
Police chief Eridelson Bastos reported that the lorry driver said during questioning that he was actually slowing down at the time because he knew the curve in the road was dangerous.
Paramedics arrived on the scene in the wake of the crash to tend to the injured, who remained lying on the ground amid scattered pieces of eucalyptus wood.
In total, 22 people were injured excluding the dead.
The transport company, Rota Transportes, has expressed its regret at the death of the driver and said it is providing assistance to the injured passengers and the relatives of the deceased.
The lorry driver was found to have been involved in a similar accident involving the same vehicle on 20th May.
The traffic police currently believe the accident was caused by the driver going too quickly making it impossible to safely negotiate the curve.
The coach was heavily mangled in the crash, with its glass windows smashed and its seats dislodged.
The mining company responsible for the lorry, Gomes Transportes de Almenara, has also said it is providing support to the victims.
It believes the accident was caused by mechanical failure.
The investigation is ongoing.
