An examination has determined the cause of death for a woman who tragically lost her life in an unusual incident involving the electric window of her car.
Bernadette Delmotte, aged 60, was discovered deceased in her red Fiat 500 in the small village of Bissy-sur-Fley, France, on June 13. Initially perplexed by the incident, authorities later revealed that she met her demise while attempting to prevent her car from rolling away due to the handbrake being off.
Local accounts suggest that Bernadette extended her head through the window of the Fiat 500 to access the handbrake and unintentionally activated the car’s automatic window control button. The window then ascended, resulting in a fatal injury to her neck.
Following an autopsy, it was determined that she died from asphyxiation, and law enforcement officials ruled out any foul play. A close friend named Béatrice informed France 3, stating, “It appears the handbrake was not engaged. The car started to roll backward.”
“To halt it, Bernadette leaned through the open window to prevent further movement. However, her hand inadvertently triggered the window control, and by the time she straightened up, the window halted on her neck.”
Bernadette’s family and friends became concerned when she failed to show up for a meal on the day of the incident. Initially fearing a potential attack by a criminal attempting to steal her car, they soon discovered the tragic truth of her passing.
Her brother François shared with Franceinfo, “Initially, even the authorities were puzzled. They were genuinely asking, ‘What exactly happened?’ I was also baffled. When they phoned me with the news, I was in disbelief.”
“Overwhelmed with emotions, I entertained various thoughts – that someone had assaulted her, that she took her own life – and then gradually, I comprehended.”
Reportedly, François has reached out to Fiat to elucidate his sister’s death, as per Mail Online. He expressed to local media, “I am not seeking compensation because that will not bring my sister back. I simply aim to address this to prevent similar tragedies.”
In a separate incident in 2021, a woman in Ukraine tragically died in a comparable freak occurrence after her neck became trapped in the window of her stationary BMW car. The mother of two, who was celebrating her 21st birthday, was attempting to reach her daughter through the partially open window of the front seat when the child inadvertently activated the automatic window button, resulting in a fatal injury to her throat.
