Nine people died when a nighttime journey ended in a devastating highway collision.
On BR-251 in northern Minas Gerais, a van carrying workers and a truck collided head-on, sending both vehicles off the road. As emergency crews faced difficult conditions during an overnight rescue effort, the scale of the tragedy brought renewed attention to highway safety and unanswered ques…
The crash occurred around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, near kilometer 446 of BR-251, close to Barrocão, a rural community in Grão Mogol. Initial reports described a frontal collision between a passenger van and a heavy-haul truck.
The workers aboard the van were traveling from the Triângulo Mineiro region toward Ceará. The truck was reportedly empty, moving north-to-south after passing through Bahia and heading toward the Montes Claros area when the vehicles collided.
Both vehicles left the roadway, complicating access for responders and leading to a major rescue operation through the night. Nine people were reported dead, with several others injured.
The information provided does not establish what caused the collision or give the injured survivors’ conditions. Beyond the devastating toll, the incident again draws attention to the safety challenges along this highway—and to the people whose journeys depend on traveling it safely.
