This is the shocking moment a car plunged into a canal after a driver forgot the handbrake during a visit to a pharmacy.

CCTV footage shows the grey hatchback parked on the roadside when the driver stepped out of the vehicle in Bahia, Brazil.

Moments later, the four-wheeler began rolling forward, crossing the street, and dropped into the waterway on November 23.

The car owner then noticed his automobile heading into the channel, prompting him to sprint towards the runaway vehicle, but it was too late, and he was unable to catch up.

The car fell into the water with the visibly frustrated man standing haplessly on the roadside.

Officials said that the cause of the incident was a handbrake failure.

In a separate incident, another driver had nearly died in a similar crash 15 days earlier.

Locals expressed concern about the incidents, prompting them to urge authorities to come up with safety measures to prevent further incidents.