Questions remain in deadly rollover crash

Police say a young woman killed in a horrific rollover crash on Tuesday was not wearing her seat belt at the time of the crash.

According to police, 25-year-old Rafaella Pattichi from Avgorou crashed her vehicle in a rollover accident while driving eastbound along the Avgorou-Liopetri road on Tuesday afternoon.

Rafaella’s body was found in the back seat of her vehicle, which had veered off the road and rolled over several times before landing in an empty field.

Initial indications pointing to the young woman driving without a seat belt were later confirmed by police investigators, who were reportedly still trying to ascertain the circumstances under which the car went off a road that was completely straight.

Reports said fire fighters had to use the Jaws of Life to pull the woman out of the wreckage. Her body was found in the back seat of her car. State forensic pathologist Sofocles Sofocleous said the cause of death was severe head injury.

According to experts, seat belts help keep motorists in their seat so that they are not tossed around inside a vehicle during a rollover crash.

No other vehicle was believed to have been involved according to local media. Investigators were also looking at speed and other possible human factors that might have caused the accident.

Students of Rafaella, a University of Cyprus graduate who was living with her fiancée in Avgorou and tutoring youths in nearby Liopetri, described her as “a human being with morals, kindness, and a bright smile.”

Flags outside UCY were flying at half-staff on Wednesday, the day Rafaella’s funeral service was scheduled to take place at a local church in Avgorou.