The Public Ministry of Ceará, through the 1st Public Prosecutor's Office in Tauá, filed a complaint on Thursday (September 24), fornegligent homicide, the driver who was operating a bus that overturned on the CE-187 highway in Tauá in the early hours of June 15, 2026, resulting in the death of seven young people and leaving dozens injured. The vehicle was transporting the delegation of the Associação Desportiva e Cultural de Juazeiro do Norte (ADEJU), composed mainly of teenage athletes, who were returning from the Copa Sobral de Basquete.
"The defendant acted imprudently, as the professional driver responsible for the safety of dozens of passengers, failed to maintain control of the vehicle and to drive it with the attention and care indispensable to the safety of traffic, in violation of the duty imposed by Article 28 of the Brazilian Traffic Code, and, after leaving the lane, executed a sudden return maneuver, incompatible with the safe driving of a large-capacity collective transport vehicle," the Public Prosecutor's Office states in the complaint.
In the complaint, the Public Ministry highlights that the expert report pointed out that the highway was dry, in good condition and without potholes, with good visibility, and that the vehicle's braking and steering systems and tires did not have any damage, pointing out that the accident occurred due to a sudden maneuver made by the driver. The bus left the lane and overturned on the side of the highway.
Regarding the crimes of aggravated assault, the Public Prosecutor's Office believes in the separation of the cases, based on criminal procedure, and will therefore forward copies of the files so that the Police can identify all passengers who suffered bodily injuries as a result of the accident and collect express statements of representation from adult victims and the legal representatives of victims under the age of eighteen, as well as any other necessary actions. Survivors can also directly contact the Police Department in Tauá until December 15, 2026, as stipulated in the law.
Manslaughter
This is the death of a person caused by recklessness, negligence, or incompetence, without the intention to kill. It is a crime in which the person responsible caused the death due to carelessness, lack of care, or lack of skill, not out of a deliberate desire to take a life. The minimum penalty for manslaughter is three years of imprisonment, according to Article 121 of the Brazilian Penal Code.