Truck overturned, mother died, fetus miraculously survived
The baby was healthy and unscathed, but the mother died after being crushed by wood after the driver lost control and the car flipped over.
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A baby is held by a medical worker at the scene. Photo:Arteris. |
The pregnant woman was sitting in a truck when the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to overturn on a road near Cajati, between Sao Paulo and Curitiba, in southeastern Brazil on July 26. According toMirrorWhen the accident happened, the pregnant woman was thrown out of the cockpit and was crushed by wooden bars on the car, causing her uterus to rupture and the fetus in her womb to be thrown out.
Upon arriving at the scene, medical staff discovered the victim dead and a newborn baby girl lying crying a few meters away from her mother.
The accident damaged the baby’s umbilical cord but left his body unscathed. He is currently receiving intensive care in the pediatric ward of the Pariquera-Acu regional hospital.
Police and social services workers are trying to identify the mother, who was 39 weeks pregnant and carrying no identification.
Elton Fernando Barbosa, a paramedic at the scene, toldA Tribunaof Brazil that: "It was a serious accident that left one person dead. When I arrived, I saw the truck driver injured, then I heard a baby crying."
Elton immediately called an ambulance to take the child to the hospital.
"The baby was thrown out after the mother was crushed by the wood. She was very healthy, without any injuries. In this case, it was a miracle that the baby survived," he added. "It was an emotional moment. The mother died but we saved the baby."
Solange Batista, a nurse at the Pariquera-Acu hospital, said the baby girl weighed 2.9 kg (6.2 lb). They named her Giovanna, which means "protected by God".
"She is very calm, doesn't cry, and even smiles when you tease her," said the nurse.
Jonathan Ferreira, the truck driver, was also taken to hospital but was released later that day. He has now been charged with manslaughter. Ferreira said he did not know the victim and had only given her a ride.
Officials are trying to identify the woman and are asking her family to come forward to claim her body. If no one comes forward, the victim will be buried as an unknown person and the baby will be transferred to an orphanage for adoption.