A devoted young father and his two little daughters, aged just four and eight, have died in a devastating head-on crash with a lorry whose driver then went on the run.
The crash happened on the BR-414 highway in the municipality of Cocalzinho de Goias, in Goias state in central Brazil, on Friday night, 21st August.
Wilker Renato Almeida da Silva, 29, was travelling with his daughters Alana, eight, and Alice, four, when their pickup collided with the lorry at around kilometre 345 of the highway.
The three victims died at the scene of the crash, according to Brazil's Federal Highway Police.
The family was travelling from Cocalzinho de Goias towards Anapolis when the collision happened, while the lorry was travelling in the opposite direction carrying a load of limestone.
The lorry driver fled the scene before emergency teams arrived and had not been found by the latest update.
Police said the circumstances surrounding the collision were being investigated by civil police.
Wilker's family described him as a loving and caring father who adored his two daughters.
A relative told local media: "His daughters lived with him. He was a very loving and caring father, he loved them very much."
Wilker owned the clothing company Bless'Me Jeans, which paid tribute to him and the girls following their deaths.
The company said: "In this moment of profound sadness, we unite in prayer and solidarity with the family, friends and everyone who had the privilege of knowing them."
Alana and Alice were pupils at the Os Cordeirinhos de Cristo Evangelical School, which also issued a tribute after their deaths.
The school management said: "Two lives so precious who left behind marks of affection, tenderness and memories that will remain with us forever."
Wilker and his two daughters were buried together on Monday, 24th August, at the Vale do Cerrado cemetery complex in Goiania, the capital of Goias state.
(Marija Stojkoska/Newsflash)
