Gruesome story out of Turkey: A 24-year-old woman was beheaded today at a go-kart track in Adapazarı, about two hours east of Istanbul, when the cart she was riding in crashed into a safety barrier. According to witnesses, the woman's seat belt cut off her head during the crash's impact:

Tuğba Erdoğan was wearing the security belt, but she reportedly tied it around her neck instead of her chest, which eventually caused the dramatic incident. After completing a few laps, the 24-year-old lost control of her go-cart while turning a corner and crashed into the safety barriers. Witnesses told Doğan News Agency that the security belt tightened around her neck and cut off her head with the force of the crash.


The Doğan News Agency is also reporting that Erdoğan was wearing a head scarf that may have become entangled with the seat belt. Their website has a photo gallery that includes some macabre images from the crash scene.

Update (6:27 p.m.): From the Hurriyet Daily News: "[A]fter the first inspection, police forces said Erdoğan's scarf got tangled in the shaft of the cart, which led to the tragedy."


[Doğan News Agency]