Confused the pedals? Went out to prepare for the test - and plunged with her car into a lake

Somasitra Das, 42, from Kolkata, was killed after her car plunged into a lake while she was practicing driving alone ahead of her license test. She was rescued after an hour in a complex operation, but was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police suspect she accidentally pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake.

Somasitra Das, 42, from Kolkata, India, was killed after losing control of her car and plunging into a lake. She was rescued from the vehicle after a complex and lengthy rescue operation, but was pronounced dead at the hospital. On the morning of the incident, Das took the family's new Hyundai ION to practice driving ahead of her driving test, which was scheduled for August 22. Although her driving lessons were usually conducted with a certified instructor, she was driving alone at the time of the fatal accident. Witnesses who saw the car plunge into the water immediately alerted emergency services. Local residents tried to jump into the water to rescue Das, but the lake's depth—estimated at about 3.5 meters—caused the car to sink quickly to the bottom. Only after a long hour did fire and police teams arrive and manage to pull the car from the water using a heavy crane. Das was found inside the car unconscious and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors had to pronounce her death. Indian police opened an investigation into the circumstances of the accident, and the car was sent for a comprehensive examination because Das's body was found in an unusual position, with her face turned toward the back seat and her legs near the pedals. The main suspicion of investigators is a fatal human error. Police are examining the possibility that the inexperienced driver panicked and accidentally pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake, causing the car to lurch forward and plunge into the lake. The investigation continues to rule out a technical failure in the vehicle, which was recently purchased by her husband.