Freak accident claims woman

2003-08-17 21:15

Tom de Wet

Welkom - A woman here died in a freak accident when she ended up under the wheels of her run-away car.

Friends of her children's found her body in a park in one of the city's upmarket neighbourhoods.

The automatic Mercedes apparently dragged Stella Beyl along as it burst through a garage door while in reverse, careered over the street and came to a halt in a park in Langeberg Street.

Beyl was under the car and the engine was still running when she was found shortly after midnight on Friday night.

She apparently had been trapped under the car for some time.

Her husband was already in bed when the accident happened and her children were having a party in the house.

Police initially suspected foul play, but after an investigation they determined that her death could have been the result of a freak accident. The investigation is not yet completed.

Habit

Captain Rosa Benade said Beyl's habit was to always close the garage door before switching off the car and lights.

She apparently leaned into the car over the passenger seat to collect her cellphone and purse and then pushed the gear lever into reverse by accident.

The car crashed through the garage door and the open front door was ripped from the car.

The slope in front of the garage gave the car more momentum.

Beyl was apparently dragged along and seemed to have ended up under the wheels when she tried to switch off the car.

- Volksblad