Macaé (Brazil) - Simply tragic. A young female engineer was hit by a road roller in a serious accident on a construction site in Macaé (Brazil). The 27-year-old died. Apparently there was a technical defect in the construction machine.

As the roller weighing several tons rolled uncontrollably towards her, Rafaela ran for her life.

The terrible accident leaves colleagues and relatives stunned. Rafaela Martins de Araújo (†27) had successfully completed her degree in civil engineering three years ago, had made a successful start to her career and was soon to marry her fiancé Milton. But a cruel twist of fate tore the young woman from her life last Monday.

As the G1 portal reported, Rafaela was hit by a road roller on a construction site in the Brazilian oil capital of Macaé and pronounced dead in hospital shortly afterwards.

According to what is known, the construction machine was on its way to refuel when the brakes suddenly failed. The roller rolled uncontrollably down a steep slope and Rafaela tried to get to safety behind a tree.

But Rafaela had no chance, was hit and was probably killed instantly.

It was only nine months ago that the young woman was honored at a construction safety event by her employer MJ2 Construções, a subcontractor of the Brazilian oil giant Petrobras, reports the newspaper Metrópoles.

Now, of all things, the young woman died in an accident on a construction site - she was the lead engineer. The engineer has now been laid to rest with great sympathy.

"One accident and our whole life is turned upside down. I remember every moment from the moment I got the call and I confess that it's still very hard to understand that this actually happened and I'm not just living a nightmare," Rafaela's devastated fiancé Milton said on Instagram.

The police are investigating the matter. Whether it was negligence cannot yet be ruled out.