Retiree Maria Auxiliadora de Carvalho, 83, described the moments of despair she experienced after her car was dragged by a tractor-trailer on the Presidente Dutra Highway, in São José dos Campos, in the interior of São Paulo, Brazil.
The incident happened on the morning of last Wednesday (1st). In an interview with TV Vanguarda, she said she held on to a rosary and prayed while the vehicle was pushed for several meters.
According to the elderly woman, the accident happened when she had to change lanes because of a lane narrowing signaled by cones. She said she turned on her indicator, but the tractor-trailer struck the side of her car and continued along the highway.
When she realized the truck was not stopping, she turned off the vehicle to reduce the risk of fire and tried to stay calm. “I held on to the rosary and asked Our Lady to protect me. I’m here in one piece, without a single scratch. Thank God,” she said.
Images recorded by other drivers show the car stuck to the side of the tractor-trailer as it was dragged along the road. Despite the seriousness of the incident, Maria Auxiliadora was not injured.
After managing to get out of the car, she photographed the truck’s license plate to help identify the driver. “When I got out, I was shaking,” she told Vanguarda.
According to the Federal Highway Police (PRF), the tractor-trailer driver left the scene without providing assistance. The vehicle was located and seized on Wednesday night (1st), in the Taubaté region.
According to the agency, the truck was being driven by another driver at the time of the stop, and the investigation is ongoing to identify who was driving the tractor-trailer during the accident.
📹🚛 Video shows tractor-trailer dragging car for kilometers on Via Dutra, in São José dos Campos
😮 A tractor-trailer collided with a car and dragged it for several kilometers on the Presidente Dutra Highway, in São José dos Campos. Images of the incident were recorded and began to… pic.twitter.com/5q6bTxAM4M
— Sputnik Brasil (@sputnik_brasil) July 3, 2026
Photo and video: X @Tumultobracervo | X @sputnik_brasil. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
