Zé Neto remembers accident: “My car will catch fire and I will burn here”
Zé Neto, from the duo with Cristiano, received the award Fantastic to talk about the accident he suffered on the BR153 in Fronteira (MG) on the night of December 5th. The singer says he can remember every second of the accident, although he has some difficulty speaking and is still in pain.
“And I tried to open the door, but I couldn't. This smoke came in, this smell. I said my car was going to catch fire and I was going to burn in here,” he recalled.
Zé Neto's wife, Natália Toscano, was driving down the same street in another car with their two children, Angelina, 3 years old, and José Filho, 6 years old.
“I couldn't see the collision itself because it was already going downhill. There is just a mess, but I immediately realized that he is my husband,” said Natália Toscano.
In the accident, the car driven by Zé Neto overturned after hitting a truck. The photos of the destroyed car and the singer's hospitalization caused concern among his partner Cristiano and millions of fans.
“My wife named Natália, Zé's wife. She was very scared in the ambulance. He said: “Paula, I'll call you immediately.” They stabilize Zé'. Man, when I heard it got stable in my head it was a shock, I was really scared,” Cristiano said.
Moment of crisis in a duo
Zé Neto and Cristiano were born in São José do Rio Preto, in the interior of São Paulo, and have been friends since childhood. The passion for country music sparked the courage to form the duo in 2011. The duo is collecting achievements and impressive numbers, such as 12 billion views on digital platforms, and now, in 2023, they have won the trophy for the most played country album of the year in all of Brazil.
At the end of last year, Zé Neto faced one major depressionwhich caused a problem seriously into alcohol and the duo almost broke up.
“I didn’t want it anymore because this is my life, it’s what I like to do, it’s my livelihood. But a time has come when a person's life is much more important than money or career,” Cristiano said.
One of the incentives for Zé Neto's recovery was the singer's connection with his godson Miguel, Cristiano's youngest son. The singer has been abstaining from alcohol for more than six months.
“I made a promise to Cris' son. I usually say that these little people are responsible for my healing,” says Zé Neto.
Miguel was born with Tetralogy of Fallot, a rare heart disease that affects blood flow and oxygen delivery. In October, when he was five months old, the boy had surgery and everything went well.
Seat belt saved
Of the five people involved in the accident, the musician was the first to arrive at the mixed health center in the city of Fronteira (MG). He did not undergo a toxicology test because, according to doctors and police, there were no signs that the singer had drunk alcohol.
The singer broke three ribs, one in two different places, and had stitches in his left arm. After transfer to the São José do Rio Preto base hospital. Tests revealed a lung contusion caused by the force of the crash.
Federal Highway Police Inspector Rocha Neto stressed the importance of Zé Neto wearing a seatbelt.
“Had he not had a seatbelt, he would have sustained much more serious injuries or even death due to the force of the impact and the damage to his vehicle,” he explained.
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