A motorist in Italy who survived an accident in which he even dodged a tree ended up drowning when he climbed out of the car – and fell into a deep well filled with water.

The victim has been named as Federico Pellini, 20, from the province of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy, and the accident took place near the town of Toano on Saturday night, with his body being recovered on Sunday morning (12th December) after his parents raised the alarm, according to local media reports.

Pellini, who was driving a Fiat Panda, came off the road and avoided a tree but after leaving the vehicle, slipped into an uncovered, 4-metre-deep (14-foot-deep) tank containing water, which acts as a sort of roadside well for water storage.

His body was recovered on Sunday morning by the local fire brigade who found it at the bottom of the 4-metre-deep well.

The dead man’s Fiat Panda had apparently knocked off the cover to the well when it came off the road. As a result, the well was uncovered as he stepped out of the vehicle.

Pellini, having not suffered any injuries during the accident, had apparently not noticed the uncovered well and he then fell in and drowned.

Pellini was on his way home after an evening spent with his friends and family. They raised the alarm after he failed to respond to texts and phone calls.

Pellini reportedly worked as a pizza chef at a local restaurant called La Collina. He lived in Monzone di Toano with his father Enrico and his mother, who has not been named.

The local mayor, named as Vincenzo Volpi, said: “It is a tragedy that leaves you astonished, it is hard to even believe what happened. In this moment of unspeakable pain, our thoughts are with his family.”