A surfer was killed in a crash when she was struck by her own board, after posting selfies captioned “Let’s go home.”
The tragedy happened as Mariani Gambarini Vassoler drove to her mother’s house to spend Christmas and New Year.
She left home before 6am and was expected to arrive at her mother’s around 10pm n Friday (19 Dec) evening.
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At 5.55am, she had posted a couple of selfies in her car with her surfboard and her dog, Chopp.
The crash happened on the motorway near Mimoso do Sul, south-eastern Brazil, just over two hours from her destination, Iriri.
“The police said she lost control on the wet road,” her aunt Bruna said.
“We think she may have been distracted in the car, reaching for something, and when she grabbed the wheel she lost control.”
The car spun, went down a slope sideways, and collided with a cement-loaded lorry on the passenger side.
It spun again before coming to rest on the hard shoulder, as reported by Need To Know.
Bruna believes her niece may have been killed by her own surfboard. “The board was loose in the car, lying across the seats,” she explained.
“The police said the impact pressed it against the side of her head, causing a deep cut. The passenger side and roof were crushed.
“She was trapped. The car was completely destroyed.”
Chopp, who had accompanied Mariani everywhere, survived and stayed in the vehicle beside her body until it was removed.
“The police said the dog stayed next to her, quietly sniffing,” Bruna said. “He didn’t try to run and was only taken after her body was removed.
“The bond between Mariani and Chopp was very strong. He slept with her in her bed, in her room. As she lived alone, he was her companion.”
Mariani, 31, was a production engineer who moved to Sorocaba in January to work in sales for a high-end upholstery company, where she was well-liked by colleagues.
In addition to surfing, she ran, swam, and weight-trained regularly.
She usually travelled between Sorocaba and Iriri by plane but had chosen to drive this time to stay longer and bring Chopp.
Her eight-year-old dog is now staying in Mariani’s old room and will be cared for by her mother and brother.
The crash remains under investigation.
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