A paramedic sent to attend a car crash discovered that the victims were his brother and sister-in-law.`
The accident happened when their Volkswagen Golf was hit by a Ford Ranger pickup as they left one road to join another.
The collision caused both vehicles to skid across the central reservation, strike a Toyota Corolla and end up in a ditch about 55 yd (50 m) away.
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They died at the scene.
A couple and an eight-year-old child in the truck were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.
The driver and his young daughter in the Toyota were uninjured.
Paramedics were dispatched to the PR-281 state highway in Ampére, Brazil, on Sunday (27 Oct) night.
But one of them discovered that the deceased were his brother and sister-in-law.
The distraught man was assisted by his colleagues and sent back to the city.
The victims were named as Paulino Gonçalves de Oliveira and Janete Matias dos Santos.
Paulino, 58, worked as a security guard at a nursery and Janete, 51, was a cook at a local state school.
The Ampére City Hall declared three days of official mourning in response to the tragedy, as reported by Need To Know.
Paulino’s daughter Kelly wrote on social media: “Today, a piece of me has been taken away. The ache I feel for you, Dad, makes my heart heavy.
“Each memory is a precious reminder that I cherish. Your smile and your hugs are treasures I will never forget.”
The authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.
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