On Monday morning, the Civil Police initiated an investigation following the discovery of a body located at kilometer 73 on the BR-040 highway in Petrópolis, in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro. The concessionaire managing this section of the highway, Elovias, received notifications from motorists at around 3:38 AM, reporting the presence of a corpse in the middle of the lane heading towards Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. Although initial examinations suggest that the case may involve a hit-and-run incident, the security cameras operated by the concessionaire did not capture any footage of the accident occurring.

The Federal Highway Police are similarly treating this situation as a case of vehicular manslaughter, indicating that the driver responsible for the incident fled the scene without assisting the victim, identified as a man approximately 40 years old, whose identity has yet to be confirmed. Witness accounts from drivers who passed by the area indicate that the visibility was poor, and other vehicles inadvertently struck the body, which remained on the roadway throughout the night.

This tragic incident has raised significant concern about traffic safety on the BR-040, a crucial artery connecting major cities in Brazil. The investigations aim to clarify the circumstances surrounding the body’s presence on the highway and hold accountable those responsible for the hit-and-run, highlighting persistent issues of accountability and care on Brazil’s roads, where many accidents go unreported or unresolved.