A 42-year-old woman died after the newly purchased car she was learning to drive plunged into a 10–12-foot-deep pond in Keshtopur, near Kolkata, on Wednesday.
The victim, Sumitra Das, lived with her husband Krishnendu and their daughter in a flat near Prafulla Kanan West, off VIP Road. She worked at a private firm, while her husband runs a business. The family had recently purchased the car, and Sumitra was practising for her upcoming driving test.
According to police, Sumitra had taken the car out after dropping her daughter at a bus stop. She reportedly went to a nearby garage where the vehicle was parked. Shortly after she drove the car out, it plunged into the nearby pond. Police suspect she may have accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brakes.
Local residents immediately alerted the police and fire brigade, while several people attempted to rescue her by jumping into the pond. However, their efforts were unsuccessful. The vehicle was eventually recovered from the water after nearly one-and-a-half hours.
When the car doors were opened, rescuers found Sumitra positioned towards the back seat, with her legs towards the driver’s seat. A local resident said this suggested she may have desperately tried to escape through the rear door.
Sumitra was taken to a hospital after being pulled from the vehicle, but doctors declared her dead. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident.
