I witnessed a watered-down version of an incident like this a few months ago on the road between Campos dos Goytecazes and Rio de Janeiro - traffic slows down, then stops, and as we look ahead, trying to see what causes the jam, we find that several people walk along the roadside carrying beer cans and kegs, laughing and being in an excellent mood.

Just our luck, driving right into some festivities, we think. Then, minutes later, we find the origin of the beer - a truck has veered onto the road shoulder and toppled over, the locals helping themselves to the free beer strewn all over.

I imagine that village still being collectively tipsy...

Apparently not all of them, as some still drank to death