Pressed the Gas Instead of the Brake in a Driving Lesson – and Drowned

A 42-year-old woman died in India after losing control of her car and plunging into a lake about 3.5 meters deep during an unaccompanied driving practice. The driver, Sumitra Das, was rescued after a complex operation, but her death was pronounced at the hospital. Police are investigating suspected human error: pressing the gas instead of the brake.

A deadly tragedy during a driving lesson in India: a 42-year-old woman, Sumitra Das, died after losing control of her family's new Hyundai Ioniq and plunging into a lake about 3.5 meters deep. Das, who was practicing alone ahead of her driving test scheduled for August 22, had returned home from dropping her daughter at school and took the car. Witnesses alerted emergency services, and local residents tried to rescue her, but the car sank quickly. Fire and police teams launched a lengthy rescue operation, and only after an hour were they able to pull the car out using a heavy crane. Das was found unconscious and taken to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Police are investigating the circumstances of the accident, with the main suspicion being a fatal human error: the inexperienced driver panicked and pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake. The car has been sent for mechanical inspection to rule out a technical failure, as it was recently purchased by her husband.