Cyclist Struck and Killed by McLaren SLR in Brazil
Last night, my roommate was video-chatting with a friend of his in Brazil, who brought up how dangerous it can be to ride a bike there, so it was freaky to see this story today.
At the time of the impact which killed the 30-year-old cyclist, the SLR was being driven by 25-year-old Thor Batista, son of Eike Batista, Brazil’s richest man. Initial reports say the younger Batista had no alcohol in his system, and became ill after he saw what happened. Details come from GT Spirit:
This tragedy happened near Xerem — about 50 km from Rio de Janeiro–on the BR-040. This federal highway connects the capital Brasilia with Rio de Janeiro. The family of Thor Batista has announced they will bear the costs of the victim’s funeral.
I commute by bike, so incidents like this give me pause. But I didn’t write this post to hang some rich-kid out to dry. It just reminded me to be extra careful on my way home, and to look out for bikers when I’m behind the wheel. Two more pics after the jump.
