Driver sentenced to 8 years and 4 months for running over and killing 13-year-old student in Maceió
Quick Look
- José Wellington Pacheco was sentenced to 8 years and 4 months in prison for running over and killing student Fabrycio Jorge Cavalcante de Melo, aged 13, in Maceió, in October 2014.
- The crime occurred when the driver ran the red light at Faixa Azul, hitting the teenager while crossing the pedestrian crossing on Avenida Fernandes Lima, and fled the scene without providing assistance.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The collision occurred on October 27, 2014, when Fabrycio Jorge, 13 years old, was hit while crossing Avenida Fernandes Lima at the pedestrian crossing. Driver José Wellington Pacheco was driving above the speed limit permitted in the Blue Belt, ran the red light and fled the scene after the impact.
Police had access to the photo of the driver suspected of running over Fabrício Jorge — Photo: Waldson Costa
Driver José Wellington Pacheco was sentenced this Tuesday (22) to 8 years and 4 months in prison, in an initially closed regime, for running over and killing student Fabrycio Jorge Cavalcante de Melo, aged 13, in Maceió. The crime took place in October 2014.
Fabrycio was hit while crossing a pedestrian crossing on Avenida Fernandes Lima.
The trial was held at the 9th Criminal Court of the Capital and led by substitute judge Lucas Tavares Takada. The collision occurred on the night of October 27, 2014, around 6pm.
The driver's documents were inside the car — Photo: Waldson Costa/G1
According to the records, José Wellington was driving above the permitted speed when he entered the Blue Lane, designated at that time for public transport and taxis with passengers.
Still according to the process, the driver ran the light and hit Fabrycio, who was crossing Avenida Fernandes Lima through the pedestrian crossing.
With the impact, the teenager was thrown about six meters. After being run over, José Wellington left the scene without providing assistance.
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Driver turned himself in to police
The car that ran over the teenager was found in the Luiz Pedro complex — Photo: Waldson Costa
One day after the accident, José Wellington reported himself to the Civil Police after the Special Investigation and Capture Division (Deic) located the car involved in the case and identified the driver.
The vehicle was found covered by a tarp on a street in Conjunto Luiz Pedro I, in the Tabuleiro do Martins neighborhood, with documents inside.
In a statement given at the time, José Wellington confessed to having run over the teenager and stated that he was in a hurry.
According to the police, he said he saw the light go from green to yellow and noticed other vehicles stopping, but decided to follow the Blue Lane.
The driver also stated that, during the maneuver, he was looking to the left and did not notice that Fabrycio was starting to cross the pedestrian crossing.
José Wellington also said that, after feeling the impact, he looked in the rearview mirror and believed he saw the teenager get up.
He stated that he was terrified and left the place. At the time, the driver provided clarifications for hours at Deic headquarters and was released.
According to the Civil Police, he was not caught in the act because he appeared spontaneously accompanied by a lawyer.
Open Questions
- What was José Wellington Pacheco's traffic history before the accident?
- Were there any administrative measures against the driver between the accident in 2014 and the conviction in 2026?
- Did Fabrycio Jorge's family receive any type of compensation or assistance after the crime?
