Child crashes on float at opening of Carnival in Rio

According to the Municipal Health Department, Raquel Antunes da Silva, 11, had her legs crushed between a pole and a float a few meters from Sapucaí. Forensics at the scene of the accident caused more than an hour of delay in the parades.

Raquel Antunes da Silva, 11, lost her leg after being injured in an accident with a float on the way out of the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro. At 7:30 am this Thursday (21), the girl was still in the surgical center of the Souza Aguiar Hospital, in the city center. Her other leg is in critical condition, according to doctors.

Raquel’s condition is considered serious. She had a cardiac arrest and trauma to the chest.

According to witnesses, the mother and the girl were in a square in Estácio, near Sapucaí, having a snack. The girl walked away, along with two friends, to look at the floats that were passing by. Suddenly, the mother was told that Raquel had been hit by a float and pressed against a pole.

The League of Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro (Lierj) and the Independent League of Samba Schools (Liesa) issued a note in solidarity with Raquel.

A doctor at the hospital said the surgery the girl underwent early in the morning was complex. Raquel had her legs crushed between the pole and an Em Cima da Hora float, a few meters from the Marquês de Sapucaí exit. She received her first treatment while still at the Sambódromo medical post and was then transferred to the hospital.

“She went to another square on the other side. When her mother looked, she wasn’t there. Soon after, it was about 5 minutes, her brother came to warn her that she was run over. The float squeezed her onto the pole. She was leaning over to see the cars go by, so we don’t know if [what happened right] yet… Because the street is very busy, so we still don’t know. He’s trying to assimilate what happened,” said Aline da Mota, a family friend.”

The Civil Police were called and carried out an investigation at the scene of the accident, which lasted almost two hours. Investigators will try to analyze footage from a security camera that may have recorded the accident. Two others that are in the same region were turned off.

Two witnesses and two drivers of the tow truck carrying the float testified at the Sambódromo police station and were later released.

The accident

At the hospital, the girl’s mother said that her daughter climbed on the Em Cima da Hora float, and her legs got stuck on a pole as the vehicle passed through a narrow stretch of road. The child’s two legs were torn apart, according to the mother.

The girl’s friends told Raquel’s mother that the float was stopped and that the accident occurred when he started to walk.

In a note, the samba school At the last minute said it was “finding out with the League what happened”. “At the moment, we will not make any statement,” the press office said.

Lierj official note

“The leagues of the samba schools in Rio de Janeiro are shaken and show solidarity with the family of Raquel Antunes. The younger girl climbed onto the float outside the sambadrome, on Rua Frei Caneca, in Estácio after leaving the dispersion area. in less than two minutes, she was rescued and taken to Sousa Aguiar Hospital, where she underwent surgery. Teams from the Leagues and the School follow the case in the hospital unit alongside the family from the first moment and also collaborate with the authorities. moment, it is necessary to wait for the investigation of the expertise and authorities for further clarification”.

delay in the parades

The accident delayed for more than an hour the parades of the Gold Series in Sapucaí, between the second (Acadêmicos do Cubango) and the third (Unidos da Ponte) schools, as announced by the announcer.

The reason was a forensic examination of the Civil Police, carried out at the scene of the accident. A delegate, a prosecutor, military police and school representatives accompanied the expertise, which lasted nearly two hours.

Due to the interdiction of the road, it would not be possible for another school to enter Sapucaí because there would be no way to transport the members after the parade.

Members of Unidos da Ponte came to lie on the asphalt of the concentration, on Avenida Presidente Vargas.