A tragic accident claimed the life of a 13-year-old Brazilian schoolgirl, Fernanda Pacheco Ferraz, last week. The incident occurred when Ferraz, a student at Professor Carlos Côrtes State College in Rio de Janeiro, was returning home to the Catarcione neighborhood. According to local media, Ferraz was sitting at the back of the bus and leaned out of the window to wave goodbye to her friends.
The accident happened when the bus driver swerved to avoid oncoming traffic on a narrow street. Ferraz, who had her head out of the window, collided with a pole near the curb, resulting in severe head injuries. Passengers on the bus quickly alerted the driver, who immediately stopped the vehicle.
The driver, who has been with the bus company, Nova Faol, for 13 years, promptly informed the authorities and the transit company’s management about the incident. However, by the time the first responders arrived at the scene, Ferraz had already succumbed to her injuries.
Nova Faol issued a statement expressing their deep regret over the tragic incident and pledged their full cooperation with the authorities in the ongoing investigation. The Secretary of State for Education also expressed profound sorrow over the accident involving a student from the State College Professor Carlos Côrtes.
The Secretary’s office released a statement, expressing sympathy for the immense pain the family is going through and assured that all necessary assistance is being provided to the family and the school community. In honor of Ferraz, classes were suspended for two days to allow the community to mourn her loss. Ferraz was laid to rest at the Trilha do Céu cemetery at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.