Body Found in Car During Search for Woman Who Vanished Nearly 4 Weeks Ago

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, the North Yorkshire Police received an alert from a citizen who noticed a black car in the undergrowth down the embankment at the junction of the A172 and A19 in Northallerton, a town in northern England. Officers found a body inside and believe it to be Tracey Smith, who had been missing.

North Yorkshire Police

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A citizen found a car down a roadside embankment in England and called police on Tuesday, Aug. 18

North Yorkshire Police found a body inside and believe it is Tracey Smith, a woman who has been missing for almost four weeks

Smith disappeared on July 24 after leaving her home in nearby Stokesley in a black Fiat Panda

Officers found a body inside a car while searching for a woman who vanished nearly a month ago.

On Tuesday, Aug. 18, the North Yorkshire Police received an alert from a citizen who noticed a black car in the undergrowth down the embankment at the junction of the A172 and A19 in Northallerton, a town in northern England, according to a press release.

Officers found a body inside the vehicle and believe it is Tracey Smith, a woman who has been missing for almost four weeks, according to the BBC.

However, formal identification has not yet taken place.​

She went missing on July 24 after leaving her home in Stokesley, a town 16 miles northeast of where the body was found, in a black Fiat Panda, according to local outlet The Northern Echo.

Police then launched a search and published pictures of the car.

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Authorities repeatedly appealed to the public for help finding the 57-year-old, including appeals on Aug. 10 and Aug. 18, per local outlet Teesside Live.

Police closed the road after the discovery to investigate the scene and recover the car.

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“Due to the location of the vehicle, forensic examination and recovery took longer than usual,” the release added. “Our thanks go to members of the public who responded to appeals for help to find Tracey, including the person who called in after noticing a vehicle in the undergrowth.”

An investigation will determine how the vehicle left the road.

“Our thoughts are with Tracey’s family and friends at this very sad time,” police noted.

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