This is the moment a car veers off the road, smashes into a guardrail and overturns into a water-filled containment area, leaving three young women trapped inside as the wreck remained undiscovered for hours.
The crash that killed the three friends happened on the BR-376 motorway in the municipality of Mandaguacu, in northern Parana, Brazil, at around 3.40am on 20th August.
Security camera footage shows the silver Hyundai HB20 travelling towards Maringa before it appears to lose control, strike the guardrail and tumble down the roadside embankment into the water.
The vehicle was left almost completely submerged and was not discovered until the morning, when a passer-by travelling along the motorway at around 8.30am noticed one of its wheels sticking out above the water and called for help.
Firefighters, emergency medical crews, the motorway operator and federal highway police were sent to the scene, where rescuers removed the car from the channel and found all three occupants dead inside.
The victims were identified as Maria Clara de Almeida, 26, Maria Eduarda da Silva Vanderlei, 21, and Larissa Viana, 23.
Two of the victims were students at the State University of Maringa, with Maria Eduarda studying biotechnology and Larissa enrolled on a master's degree in architecture and urban planning.
Maria Eduarda was originally from Quinta do Sol and had moved to Maringa for her studies, while Maria Clara lived in Maringa and studied at a private institution in the city.
The crash occurred near Vila Guadiana, on the stretch of motorway between Nova Esperanca and Maringa, with the vehicle travelling in the direction of Maringa.
Firefighters also searched the surrounding area to establish whether anyone else had been involved, but confirmed that the three young women were the only occupants of the car.
The water-filled area was part of a roadside system designed to contain rainwater, and the vehicle came to rest inside the channel after leaving the motorway.
Initial reports suggested the women had no obvious external injuries, raising the possibility that they may have drowned after the car entered the water, although the causes of death had not been officially established.
An initial suspicion that the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel was also reported, but this had not been confirmed by authorities.
The Federal Highway Police was gathering information about why the car left the road, while forensic experts were expected to examine the vehicle, the motorway and the containment area as part of the investigation.
Maria Clara was originally from the municipality of Colorado, where her father, Dr Arnaldo Bento de Almeida, is a well-known local doctor. Following her death, the local authority declared three days of official mourning.
Colorado City Hall said in a statement: "It is with deep regret, sadness and dismay that the Municipality of Colorado mourns the passing of young Maria Clara Almeida, which occurred on Thursday as a result of a tragic car accident."
The statement added: "Maria Clara's untimely passing leaves a profound sense of emptiness and immense sadness among her family, friends and all those who had the opportunity to know her and share moments of her life."
The State University of Maringa also mourned the loss, saying: "The university expresses deep sorrow for the death of two students from the institution, victims of a traffic accident that occurred in the early hours of Thursday on BR-376 in Mandaguacu.
The university added: "In this moment of immense sorrow, the university community stands in solidarity with the family, friends, colleagues and professors of Maria Eduarda and Larissa and expresses its most sincere condolences."
(Marija Stojkoska/Newsflash)
