A tragic accident on the CE-060 highway near Caririaçu claimed the lives of an entire family early Sunday, July 16. Hérida Nascimento da Silva, Sebastião Cícero Gomes, and their 3-year-old son Miguel were en route to Juazeiro do Norte for Miguel’s surgery when their vehicle veered off the road and plunged into a stream.

The crash occurred around 7 a.m. near Sítio Piripiri. The stream’s five-meter depth made rescue efforts nearly impossible, and all three family members died at the scene. The incident has deeply shaken the Cariri region.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the accident, while locals have raised concerns about road conditions and a lack of safety measures along that stretch of highway. Calls for improved infrastructure have intensified following the tragedy.

The heartbreaking loss of Hérida, Sebastião, and little Miguel has left the community in mourning. Their story is now a somber reminder of how fragile life can be—and how urgent the need is for better road safety in rural Brazil.