A traffic incident in Santa Maria, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, ended in tragedy on January 31 when a driver was struck and thrown from an overpass after stopping in the roadway.

The incident occurred when a vehicle’s hood suddenly flipped open, obstructing the driver’s view. The driver pulled to a stop in the lane adjacent to the central median of an overpass in order to close the hood.

At that moment, a pickup truck traveling in the same lane was unable to avoid the stationary vehicle and collided with it. The 64-year-old driver, who was standing at the front of his vehicle at the time of impact, was thrown over the guardrail and fell to the road below. Emergency responders later confirmed that he died from his injuries.

Reports indicate that although the driver had activated his hazard lights, he did not place a warning triangle on the road to alert approaching vehicles. The absence of this additional safety measure may have reduced the reaction time available to other drivers.

Authorities emphasized the importance of using all required safety equipment, including warning triangles, when a vehicle is forced to stop unexpectedly, especially on high-speed roads such as overpasses.