THE TELEGRAPH: An Australian woman has died after the Islamic head dress that she was wearing was caught in the axle of a go-kart during a family outing to a racing track.
The woman, 26, suffered severe neck injuries and went into cardiac arrest after her hijab, which covers the head and neck, became stuck in the kart's machinery while she was driving at high speed.
Paramedics managed to revive the woman after material from the hijab tightened around her throat and she was airlifted to hospital, where she later died.
Local media reports said that her husband and children were at the track at the time.
Police have opened an investigation into the incident, which took place at the Port Stephens Go-Kart track on the New South Wales midcoast, and have seized the go-kart for forensic examination.
Detective Inspector Peter Fox of Port Stephens local area command told Fairfax news websites that the longer part of the scarf was wedged down near one of the go-kart's wheel axles.
"[It appears] the scarf was pulled across her throat ... from one side of the body to the other side," he said.
Police said the woman and her family had been holidaying in Port Stephens, a popular coastal town, prior to the accident.
Signs at the track warn visitors about inappropriate footwear and advises drivers that they use the track at their own risk. However, there are no regulations about scarves or head dresses. >>> Bonnie Malkin in Sydney | Friday, April 09, 2010
