Driver in Brazil bus‑truck crash that killed 39 transferred to new prison

In December 2024 a collision on BR‑116 at km 286.5 in Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, involved a heavily overloaded bitrem and an inter‑state bus, killing 39 people and injuring nine. The truck driver, Arilton Bastos Alves, was arrested in January 2025 and charged with qualified homicide. A Minas Gerais court on 20 July 2026 ordered his transfer from the Teófilo Otoni jail to a facility in Mantena to allow family visits and “affective assistance.” The same decision reinstated the vehicle and its granite cargo to the transport company, stating there was no longer any criminal interest in the assets. Prosecutors said the driver was under the influence of alcohol, ecstasy and cocaine, was driving a vehicle 73 % over the legal load limit (68 tons) and exceeded the speed limit. The crash remains the deadliest road‑traffic accident on Brazil’s federal highways. The judicial transfer is part of the ongoing criminal proceedings against the driver and associated company officials.