Police link victims of Av. da Amizade fatal crash to bar visit

Police reported that the seven people involved in a five-seat car crash on Avenida da Amizade on Monday had visited a bar in the ZAPE area around 2 a.m.

Whether drunk driving was involved remains to be confirmed through autopsy results.

The accident caused four fatalities and left three others seriously injured.

The Public Security Police (PSP) provided further details yesterday about the traffic accident that occurred early Monday morning, stating at a press conference that they received a report around 6:10 a.m. of a serious incident near the Grand Prix grandstand on Avenida da Amizade.

Upon arrival, police officers found the front of the vehicle extensively damaged, with 17 sections of railing and other roadside facilities impacted, while both front-seat occupants and five rear-seat passengers were unconscious.

All individuals involved were transported to the hospital by ambulance.

The police requested a blood test for the driver to determine her blood alcohol level; however, the test could not be conducted due to her death. Blood tests conducted on the other victims revealed alcohol in their systems.

The female driver was pronounced dead at 7:05 a.m., while the three male passengers were pronounced dead at 6:33 a.m., 6:56 a.m., and 8:33 p.m., respectively.

Among the local victims, aged between 19 and 21, one of the deceased was reportedly identified as a 20-year-old footballer from Macau.

According to the police, current evidence from road surveillance, bar footage, and in-vehicle camera recordings confirms the victims entered a bar in ZAPE at approximately 2 a.m. that day and purchased alcoholic beverages.

Around 6 a.m., the female driver retrieved the car and picked up six passengers from Rua de Bruxelas.

While driving on the Avenida Dr. Sun Yat Sen overpass, the vehicle collided with the left-hand guardrail.

The police stated they could not confirm whether alcohol was present in the blood of the driver.

However, they noted that further investigation, including an autopsy, would be necessary to determine if drunk driving was a contributing factor in the incident.

Additionally, the police confirmed that the vehicle involved in the accident was owned by a relative of the driver, and the case has been referred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) for further investigation.

As of yesterday, all three survivors were still in critical condition.