He left the scene because people were filming him
On a busy São Paulo avenue, a collision between privilege and consequence unfolded when influencer Samuel Sant'anna, known as Gato Preto, allegedly ran a red light in his Porsche while impaired by multiple substances, striking a family vehicle and injuring a child before fleeing the scene. A toxicology report has since confirmed the presence of alcohol, MDMA, and cannabis in his system, placing the weight of evidence against a man whose public persona had long outpaced his private accountability. The case now moves through the slow machinery of Brazilian justice, where the distance between a positive drug test and a formal conviction remains wide — and contested.
- A child suffered a fractured jaw when a Porsche ran a red light on Avenida Faria Lima and slammed into a family's Hyundai HB20 on August 20th.
- Rather than stay to help the injured, Gato Preto fled the scene and was found hours later at home — his explanation being that too many people were filming him.
- Toxicology results confirmed he had alcohol, MDMA, and cannabis in his system at the time of the crash, significantly strengthening the police's case against him.
- His defense team is pushing back hard, arguing the investigation is preliminary, the toxicology is only one piece of evidence, and that procedural irregularities may exist.
- The public contrast between Gato Preto's social media posts lamenting the loss of his car and the hospitalized child in the other vehicle has sharpened scrutiny of his character.
- Multiple charges — including impaired driving causing injury, failure to render aid, and tampering with a crime scene — await formal indictment as the investigation continues.
On August 20th, a Porsche ran a red light on Avenida Faria Lima in São Paulo and struck a Hyundai HB20 carrying a family. The impact was severe enough to fracture a child's jaw and require hospitalization. Behind the wheel of the Porsche was Samuel Sant'anna — the influencer known as Gato Preto — accompanied by fellow social media personality Bia Miranda. Rather than remain at the scene, Sant'anna left before police arrived and was located hours later at his home in Tremembé. His reason for leaving, he told officers, was the crowd filming him.
A toxicology report from the Medical Legal Institute has since confirmed that his urine tested positive for alcohol, MDMA, and cannabis. The results, now part of the official investigation file at the 14th Police District in Pinheiros, have reinforced the Civil Police's theory that he was driving under the influence of multiple substances when the crash occurred. Police intend to seek charges including bodily injury aggravated by intoxication, failure to render aid, fleeing the scene, and tampering with evidence.
His legal team has responded by emphasizing that no formal indictment has been filed and that the toxicology report is only one element of a still-developing case. The attorneys argue that some details have been misrepresented publicly and that they are prepared to challenge any procedural violations. Bia Miranda, by contrast, has positioned herself as a cooperative passenger — though her initial comment dismissing the damaged family car drew its own backlash before she apologized and offered to cover repair costs.
The episode has drawn renewed attention to Sant'anna's broader history, which includes prior accusations of domestic violence, unpaid child support, and inquiries into online gambling. For now, the formal legal process — with its burden of proof and competing narratives — lies ahead, while a child recovers and the public watches.
On August 20th, a Porsche ran a red light at an intersection on Avenida Faria Lima in the western zone of São Paulo and collided with a Hyundai HB20. The luxury car also struck a traffic signal pole. Inside the Porsche were two social media personalities: Samuel Sant'anna, known online as Gato Preto, and fellow influencer Bia Miranda. In the HB20 was a family, including a child who suffered a fractured jaw severe enough to require hospitalization. Gato Preto did not wait for police. He left the scene and was found hours later at his home in the northern neighborhood of Tremembé, accompanied by two women. When questioned by officers, he said he had fled because too many people were filming him.
A toxicology report from the Medical Legal Institute has now confirmed what investigators suspected: Gato Preto's urine tested positive for alcohol, MDMA, and cannabis. The results were obtained by TV Globo and are now part of the official investigation file at the 14th Police District in Pinheiros. For the Civil Police, the findings strengthen their theory that he was driving under the influence of multiple substances when the crash occurred.
The list of potential charges is substantial. Police say they intend to indict him for bodily injury while driving a motor vehicle, aggravated by intoxication; failure to render aid to accident victims; fleeing the scene; driving at a speed incompatible with the road conditions; and tampering with the crime scene. Each carries its own legal weight and potential consequences.
Gato Preto's legal team has moved quickly to frame the narrative differently. His attorneys, Graziella Salti and Mayara Rodriguez, issued a statement emphasizing that the investigation remains in its preliminary phase and no formal charges have yet been filed. They argue that the toxicology report, while part of the evidence, is only one element among many and cannot by itself determine the outcome of the case. They also claim that some information about the test results has been distorted in public reporting. The defense says it has not yet been provided with all documents and is prepared to challenge any procedural irregularities or violations of due process.
Meanwhile, Bia Miranda, the other influencer in the car, has taken a different approach. She called the damaged HB20 a piece of trash, then apologized and said she would cover the costs of the damage. Her legal representatives say she was merely a passenger and is cooperating with investigators. The contrast between her response and Gato Preto's initial social media posts—where he complained about losing 1.5 million reais in the destruction of his car while claiming to be "fine"—has not gone unnoticed.
This is not Gato Preto's first brush with legal trouble. He has previously faced accusations of domestic violence, been investigated for unpaid child support obligations, and been the subject of inquiries into online gambling operations. The August crash, however, has brought his conduct into sharper public focus, particularly because a child was injured and because he abandoned the scene rather than assist.
The investigation continues. No formal indictment has been filed. The toxicology results are now public, but the full legal process—with its competing narratives, procedural questions, and burden of proof—remains ahead.
Notable Quotes
He left the scene because too many people were filming him— Gato Preto to police
The toxicology report is only one element of the investigation and cannot by itself determine the outcome— Gato Preto's legal defense
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did he leave the scene if the toxicology results would eventually prove what he'd consumed?
He said he left because people were filming him. Whether that's the real reason or a convenient explanation, we don't know. But leaving made everything worse—it turned a serious accident into a hit-and-run.
The child in the other car—what's the status now?
A fractured jaw. He was hospitalized. That's a real injury that will take time to heal. It's the human weight in this story that the legal arguments sometimes obscure.
Why is the defense saying the toxicology report is distorted?
They haven't specified what's distorted. They're saying some information about the results has been misrepresented, but they haven't detailed how. It's a defensive move—plant doubt about the evidence before the trial begins.
Does testing positive for three substances at once make the case stronger or more complicated?
Stronger for prosecutors, probably. It shows a pattern of impairment, not a single mistake. But it also gives the defense more angles to work—they can question how the substances interacted, which one was most impairing, whether the testing was done correctly.
What does Bia Miranda's quick apology tell us?
That she understood the optics immediately. She's distancing herself, accepting responsibility for her part, and signaling cooperation. Gato Preto did the opposite—he complained about his car. Different strategies, different outcomes.
Is there any world in which he doesn't face serious consequences?
Legally, yes—the investigation is ongoing, procedures could be flawed, evidence could be challenged. But socially and reputationally, he's already facing them. The toxicology report is public now.