The 22-year-old Army soldier admitted to having drunk alcohol and trying to run a red light moments before a serious accident. The collision resulted in the death of security guard Miriam Rosa Matos, in the central region of Campo Grande, in Mato Grosso do Sul.
Miriam, 44 years old, was finishing her shift and returning home on her motorcycle on Saturday morning (20). Tragically, she was hit by the S10 truck, driven by the military, at the intersection of Maracaju and Padre João Crippa streets, at around 6:24 am. The date of his death coincided with Vigilante Day, making what happened even more symbolic for the category.
After the accident, the soldier was detained in the act and taken to Depac (Community Emergency Assistance Police Station) at Cepol (Specialized Policing Center). He would undergo a custody hearing the following Monday morning (22), at the Heitor Medeiros Forum, to determine the legality of his arrest.
During his testimony at the police station, the young man confessed to having consumed alcohol before driving. He reported having ingested vodka mixed with energy drink at around 12:45 am, in the company of a friend.
That morning, the two boys were in two establishments in the central area of the city, before heading to a fast food restaurant located in the Guanandi neighborhood. After the meal, their intention was to head to the Nova Lima neighborhood to meet two girls.
During the journey, the soldier claimed that another car was partially invading the middle lane, where his truck was traveling. He stated that the vehicle lightly collided with the other car’s rear view mirror and that they were then allegedly chased.
Driver claims to have been fleeing another vehicle moments before impact
“I was in the middle lane, and there was another car that was encroaching on the lane a little, and the truck passed his rear view mirror, if I’m not mistaken. But I left. We followed the destination on the GPS and this car started chasing us, honking and throwing us in two, and I started running from it”, the soldier told the Civil Police, describing the supposed chase.
The soldier said he felt scared because the driver of the car that was chasing him was screaming during the chase. A few kilometers after this incident, he ended up colliding with the security guard at the intersection of Maracaju and Padre João Crippa streets.
When questioned about the details of the accident, the young man admitted to having tried to run a red light. “I didn’t see the motorcycle, I was racing the car and I tried to beat the light. I didn’t see it, that’s why I tried to beat it”, explained the driver.
After the fatal collision, the soldier said he got out of the truck and was in shock at the scene. “I got out of the car, heard that a woman had died and went into shock,” the young man told authorities.
Images captured by security cameras showed the exact moment when the truck driven by the Army soldier hits Miriam. The violent impact threw the victim from his motorcycle, and the soldier’s vehicle rolled onto the road before stopping in the parking lot of a nearby medical clinic.