MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile: Driving test for a licence ends with the vehicle in several metres deep water

The city of Antofagasta where the incident occurred

A simple test to obtain a driver’s licence ended with the hopeful lady and her instructor in several metres deep water when the vehicle plunged from a fishermen’s wharf in the Chilean city of Antofagasta.

While circulating along the historic jetties of the Antofagasta port as part of her trial driving, the inexperienced chauffeur was forced to make a sudden turn and lost control of the vehicle. All happened so fast that the instructor had no time to put on the brakes and prevent the accident.

“The aspiring driver was complying with the normal test to obtain her licence when on trying to stop to let another vehicle through, she put her foot straight on the accelerator instead of the breaks and the municipal instructor had no time to stop the vehicle and both finished in the water”, said Julian Requena head of the city’s Citizen Safety Department.

However it was a tense moment since as bubbles poured out of the sinking vehicle, the lady was unable to unlock her safety belt and became increasingly nervous, almost panicking.

But fortunately Barbara, a fisherwoman at the wharf rapidly reacted and dived helping the entrapped lady off.

“I didn’t think twice: since everybody was kind of shocked at what happened and nobody reacted as the vehicle was being covered by the water, so I jumped in and unlocked the belt and helped the poor lady out”, said Barbara.

The aspiring driver was immediately taken to the local hospital suffering from several minor injuries but in a state of shock.

The driving instructors promised she would have a second chance.