A 25-year-old woman lost control of her car and tragically died when she landed upside down in a river.
Michela Lazzaretti lost control of the Chevrolet Matiz on a double hairpin bend for reasons still unknown.
The car skidded, violently collided with the embankment, flipped and landed on the riverbed on Sunday (19 May).
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Michela was unable to unfasten her seatbelt, possibly because the collision had knocked her unconscious.
When the emergency services reached the scene, she was dead.
All the fire brigade could do was extract her body from the crumpled car.
An autopsy will determine if she died from her injuries or drowned, as reported on Need to Know.
One of Michela’s work colleagues was in the front passenger seat at the time.
The 28-year-old from San Marino sustained injuries but still managed to unfasten her seatbelt and get out of the crushed car in Savignano sul Rubicone, Italy.
As of Monday (20 May), she was still in hospital in Cesena, but local media say her condition is not serious.
Michela is survived by her parents, her sister, and her boyfriend.
Her father, Giancarlo Lazzaretti, is a candidate for the mayoralty of Verucchio, where the family lives.
In a heart-wrenching tribute, he wrote: “Fate wanted to separate us.
“You will always be the best part of my life.
“Every breath I have left will be the air I wished I could have given you to live.”
And her devastated boyfriend Anthony Morra said: “You were the best of all of us for your spontaneity and zest for life.
“I hope that in these few years, too few, I made you feel as loved as you deserved.
“You will always be a big part of me, and I will carry you in my heart wherever I go.
“I want to remember you for the fantastic woman you were and for the mother and wife I knew you could be.”
Michela’s funeral will be held in Verucchio on Thursday (23 May).
According to reports, several similar accidents have taken place on the stretch of road where Michela lost her life.
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