In Rondônia, PRF arrests driver who crashed into roadblock and ran over Bolsonarist protestor

Marcela Leiros – from Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – The Federal Highway Police (PRF) confirmed on the morning of Thursday, December 1, that the truck driver, appointed as responsible for the trampling of an unidentified person on highway BR-364, in Rondônia (RO), was arrested and referred to the Civil Police (PC) of the state. Without giving further details, the corporation stated that the responsibility now lies with the “police authority with jurisdiction in the place of the facts”. CENARIUM MAGAZINE is seeking further information from local authorities.

“The driver was referred to the Judicial Police for registration of the relevant documentations and the next steps are the responsibility of the police authority with jurisdiction in the place of the facts”, the note said.

Also read: In RO, protesters call new paralysis on highways: ‘now it’s peace or war’

The trampling occurred on the night of Wednesday, 30, in a protesters’ camp on BR-364. In a video recorded at the exact moment, it is possible to see that the truck is driven through the demonstration area where tents are set up, while noises of shots are heard.

The confirmation of the shots towards the truck is made by the man who is recording the video, who says “they are stoning his truck, shot, this is shot, they finished with his truck”. Then the driver advances on the tents. Shouts are heard and a woman is run over by the vehicle.

According to Folhapress, the person hit by the car, whose name was not released, was taken to a local hospital. There is still no new information on the victim’s health.

Watch the video:

Also according to the PRF, minutes after the calls informing about the accident, military police informed that they were already with the driver in custody in a district near the site of the hit.

In addition to running over the woman and the tents, the driver also hit other vehicles. At least one Hilux model pickup truck and a motorbike were destroyed in the action.

Watch the video:

Protests

Rondonia is one of the states that still registers blockage on federal highways of protesters dissatisfied with the result of the election that elected Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) to the presidency. On Thursday, the PRF states that there are two points blocked in the state. The first is at KM 515, of BR 364, and the second is at KM 234 of the same highway, the stretch where the accident occurred.

On Wednesday, 30, the CENARIUM MAGAZINE showed that protesters were mobilizing for new paralysis in federal highways, expected to begin on Thursday. The call was made through pamphlets to drivers passing by BR-364, the main highway in the state. “Now it’s peace or war”, said an excerpt of the statement.