A policeman suspected of drunk driving is accused of killing a mum-of-one biker after allegedly falling asleep at the wheel.
The 49-year-old officer is said to have hit the back of the motorcycle Lilliana da Silva Rodrigues was riding.
Her pillion passenger, Richard dos Santos Souza, was found disoriented by the first responders.
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The fire brigade took him from the motorway near Praia Grande, near São Paulo, Brazil, to A & E in nearby São Vicente.
Lilliana was in cardiac arrest when she was taken to a hospital in Praia Grande.
Richard was discharged that night, but Lilliana suffered three more cardiac arrests and died the next day on Sunday (26 Jan).
The off-duty policeman was arrested for driving under the influence but was later released after posting bail.
His driver’s licence has been confiscated.
Lilliana’s mother, Marlene da Silva Rodrigues, told local media: “It ended so sadly because of a man who was drunk and thoughtless.
“He took my daughter’s life at 28, with her whole life ahead of her. It’s so heartbreaking.”
Lilliana worked as a driver for a car and motorcycle ride-sharing service.
She was interested in working with buses or even lorries, according to her brother Carlos Eduardo Rodrigues.
Lilliana leaves behind an eight-year-old daughter, as reported by Need To Know.
Marlene, who works as a cook, said: “She was the most important thing in her life. Everything she did was for that little girl.”
Lilliana lived with her mother and daughter in São Vicente after losing her father three years ago.
Marlene said of her granddaughter: “She cries for her mum, asks for her, calls for her.
“We have to try to talk to her, change the subject, steer the conversation elsewhere.”
Carlos said of his sister: “A beautiful, wide smile, a kind heart, always ready to help others with anything.”
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