PORTO ALEGRE, RS (FOLHAPRESS) - The Legal Medical Institute confirmed the identity of the two drivers who died in the accident between a minibus and a truck in Ipiranga (PR), in the early hours of this Wednesday (19), which killed 23 people.
Minibus driver killed in accident in Paraná was father of 2 children and amateur goalkeeper
PORTO ALEGRE, RS (FOLHAPRESS) - The Legal Medical Institute confirmed the identity of the two drivers who died in the accident between a minibus and a truck in Ipiranga (PR), in the early hours of this Wednesday (19), which killed 23...
The driver of the minibus was identified as Erick Cezar Wittel, 38. Alex worked as a truck driver for the company that owned the Scania truck, with license plates from Erechim (RS).
- A video shared on Alex's social media in May 2025 shows a driver driving at night along a road, while the dashboard of a truck reads almost 120 km/h.
- There are no subtitles in the video, or confirmation so far that he is the author of the recording or the driver who appears in the video.
Editorial reading aid based only on information contained in this story and its identified source.
Find out who the victims of the accident on BR-373, in Paraná, are
The truck driver was identified as Alex Rivail, 26, a truck driver living in the city of Castro (PR). The driver of the minibus was identified as Erick Cezar Wittel, 38. Alex worked as a truck driver for the company that owned the Scania truck, with license plates from Erechim (RS).
A video shared on Alex's social media in May 2025 shows a driver driving at night along a road, while the dashboard of a truck reads almost 120 km/h.
There are no subtitles in the video, or confirmation so far that he is the author of the recording or the driver who appears in the video.
Erick was married, had two young children and worked as a driver for Imbituva City Hall. In his free time, he was a goalkeeper for an amateur football team. In a statement, the Churrão Futebol Clube team mourned the death:
"Erick was not just a great athlete, but an example of dedication, determination and companionship on and off the field," said the text.
The accident occurred around 3:30 am at km 209 of the BR-373 highway in Ipiranga, around 171 km from Curitiba.
The minibus driven by Erick belonged to the Health Department of Imbituva City Hall, and took patients and companions to hospitals in the metropolitan region of Curitiba.
The Via Araucária concessionaire, which manages the road, confirmed the deaths of 13 women, 8 men and 2 children.
According to information from the State Department of Public Security, the work to identify the bodies was supported by IML agents from Ponta Grossa and envoys from Curitiba and Guarapuava.
Five people were injured, three seriously, and were taken to Ponta Grossa for treatment.
A 26-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man were taken to UPA Santa Paula. Two men aged 49 and 63 were taken to the University Hospital of Ponta Grossa, and a 6-year-old boy was transported to Humai (Maternal and Child University Hospital) of the State University of Ponta Grossa.
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