A woman suffocated to death in a freak accident when she reportedly became trapped in her car's automatic window. Bernadette Delmotte's body was found in her Fiat 500 in the village of Bissy-sur-Fley, France, after the window reportedly closed on her throat.

Ms Delmotte's brother, François, told French media even the police were baffled. He said: "They were asking, 'What the hell happened?'" He said he didn't understand either, adding: "When they called me to tell me, I was confused, in denial." A friend of the deceased said: "It was so mysterious." 

The pal, Béatrice, told France 3: "We thought maybe she had a heart attack, or that someone – a madman – had come by to steal her car and hurt her. But we could never have imagined what really happened."

France 3 reports that Ms Delmotte, 60, was cleaning the car on June 13 when the accident happened.

It is believed Ms Delmotte had forgotten to apply the handbrake so leaned in through a window to reach for it.

Béatrice told France 3 the car had begun to roll back and her friend "threw herself" through the open window to stop it.

But, reportedly, Ms Delmotte accidentally pressed the automatic window control, leading the glass to rise up, trap her and compress her neck. 

Friends who had been expecting Ms Delmotte for dinner grew concerned when she didn't arrive and went to her home after their calls went unanswered. It was there that they discovered the body of Ms Delmotte, who was a retired coach and training consultant.

France 3 reported that detectives have ruled out foul play, with the case classed as a tragic accident.

François has reportedly written to Fiat, but told French media he isn't seeking a pay out. He is reported as saying: "I am not in the process of claiming compensation, because that will not give me back my sister.

"I simply want to start thinking about it to avoid further tragedies."