A British woman has died after her Fiat Punto allegedly hit a pothole, causing the car to roll into a canal in Italy.
The police saw the vehicle in the water, half hidden among the vegetation in Villa Literno, 24 kilometers from Naples, during a routine patrol and alerted the firefighters.
They managed to reach it and open it with specialized equipment and discovered the body of the 44-year-old victim inside.
Attempts to resuscitate her proved unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead at the scene before being taken to a nearby Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.
Local reports said CCTV footage obtained by police after the tragedy showed the unnamed woman crashing after hitting a pothole on the wet road.
His Fiat Punto is said to have overturned before ending up in the water.
The alarm was raised yesterday around nine in the morning. The murdered woman is believed to live in Pozzuoli, on the outskirts of Naples.
A tow truck pulled his car out of the water after his body was removed. Images published in the local press showed the recovery operation.
Police spotted the vehicle in the water half hidden in vegetation during a routine patrol.
The firefighters managed to reach the car and open it with specialized equipment, where they discovered the body of the 44-year-old victim inside.
The drama occurred in the commune of Villa Literno in the province of Caserta (file photo)
It was not immediately clear this morning what the Briton was doing in the area and where he was going.
There have been no reports indicating anyone else was in the vehicle with her, but a police investigation into the incident continues today.
This is a breaking story. More to follow.