EXCLUSIVE – Pictured: Pregnant woman who was crushed and seriously injured by Rottweiler that fell out of a third-floor window

• Ludovica Caprino, 27, is in hospital after the accident on Via Frattina in Rome

Pictures have emerged of a pregnant woman who was severely injured after being hit by a Rottweiler weighing six stone that fell from a third-floor window.

Ludovica Caprino, 27, was walking with her mum along a busy street in Rome when the dog crashed to the ground, and although badly hurt she and her baby are expected to survive.

The eight-month-old pet – named Cody – suffered fatal injuries after falling around 10 metres, and passers-by were left shocked by the scene with many bursting into tears.

Ludovica, who lives in Lausanne, Switzerland, was on holiday in the Italian capital visiting family with her husband, when the drama happened last Friday on Via Frattina, one of the city’s most upmarket streets and full of designer stores.

Ludovica – who was also celebrating her birthday – was rushed to hospital by paramedics and treated by doctors who have told MailOnline she is ‘recovering’ and able to ‘sit up and eat’, adding ‘she and the baby were very lucky

Pregnant woman Ludovica Caprino, who was severely injured after being hit by a Rottweiler weighing six stones that fell from a third-floor window

Ludovica Caprino, 27, is in hospital after the accident on Via Frattina in Rome

The eight-month-old dog – named Cody – suffered fatal injuries after falling around 10 metres

Cody’s and his owner Emilia Mikela Pawlak, who said: ‘I just don’t know what happened’

Some witnesses reported hearing what they thought was a gunshot as the animal hit the ground.

L’Unione Sarda said that bystanders and shop assistants rushed to assist the pregnant woman and others tried to help the dog. 

Ludovica’s shocked mother – who was with her and witnessed what happened – said: ‘Initially I thought we had been caught up in a shoot-out. There was a huge bang and then out of the corner of my eye I saw something hit the pavement.

‘After a second or so I realised it was a dog and it had hit my daughter, the dog just missed me because I was a few paces ahead. I then heard people screaming and I looked at my daughter and she was covered in blood.

‘She didn’t appear conscious, and I thought she was dead, I tried to get her to come round, and then she tried to stand up, but I told her to stay on the floor.

‘Ludovica was in a bad way and then the owner of the dog came out onto the road and she started crying for her dog, even though there was an injured person there.

‘My son-in-law, who is a doctor rushed to where we were and immediately calmed us down, even if we still didn’t quite understand how a dog could have fallen from a window.

‘He got into the ambulance with her but even know I still don’t get how a dog can fall from a window. 

‘It’s absurd that a person can be walking through the centre of Rome and something like this happens, but now the dog is dead I don’t know what will happen.’

Some witnesses reported hearing what they thought was a gunshot as the animal hit the ground

Cody’s owner Emilia Mikela Pawlak – who has visited Ludovica in hospital

Cody’s owner Emilia Mikela Pawlak – who has visited Ludovica in hospital – said: ‘I just don’t know what happened. 

‘I was in the bathroom and Cody was always next to me, then I heard a really loud bang and people shouting.

‘The lady who owns the shop on the ground floor called me and said to come down as Cody had fallen out of the window and hit someone and when I got there, I saw the woman on the floor and my dog lifeless on the ground.’

Emilia’s partner Gabriele has protested that the dog did not in fact hit Ludovica, citing eyewitnesses he spoke to following the traumatic incident.

‘The following day we spoke with various eyewitnesses, including a person who was next to the lady at the time of the incident,’ he told Italian newspaper La Repubblica. 

‘She said that the dog did not even touch her, but that out of fear, seeing him fall, she rushed back and hit her head.’

He argued that the dog would have crushed her completely had he landed on her. 

Emilia’s partner Gabriele has protested that the dog did not in fact hit Ludovica

Gabriele argued that the dog would have crushed Ludovica completely had he landed on her

He suggested that Luovica’s injuries were not compatible with this version of events, and that pictures show her and the dog ‘three or four metres apart’ in the aftermath.

Emilia – who also owns several cats – added: ‘Cody was a stray that I had adopted about a year ago from a kennels. 

‘I’ve told the police I am willing to assume responsibility but I’m not sure what they can do, it’s not as if I threw the dog out of the window, it was an accident, there was nothing I could do.

‘When my partner and I came down and saw Cody in the road we wanted to take him to the vet because he looked as if he might still be alive but the police wouldn’t let me move him and it took two hours for vet to arrive and by then it was too late.’

She went on: ‘It’s getting crazy as I’ve received death threats over what happened and I’m now worried for my family, I have two little children. I just hope the lady gets better; I’ve left my details with her family.

‘I feel totally responsible for what happened, and it’s been on my mind a lot. Some people have told me that Cody didn’t actually hit her but came very close and as result she was shocked by what happened, fell over and banged her head on the ground.

‘But as I said if there are consequences then I am ready to face them – although I don’t agree with the police theory that Cody was chasing a cat, he wasn’t like that at all, he didn’t chase the cats.’

A 27-year-old is in hospital after the accident on Via Frattina, one of central Rome’s chicest streets on Friday (file photo)

A police spokesperson in Rome told MailOnline that officers had attended the scene and also carried out checks inside the apartment where Emilia lives and are still investigating whether to bring any potential charges against her.

Ludovica works as a governance and integrity manager at the World Rowing Headquarters in Lausanne where a colleague told MailOnline:’ We’ve heard about what happened and just wish her all the best.’

In April, an Italian woman was ‘torn apart’ her brother’s rottweiler while she tried to feed it. 

Patrizia La Marca, 53, had stopped at her brother’s home in the resort town of Ventimiglia in the afternoon to look after his dog when it attacked her.

Neighbours heard her calling for help and first responders found her in a pool of blood, with horrific bites to her head, arms, chest and shoulders.

It took first responders two hours to help La Marca due to the aggressive nature of the dog, with officers eventually shooting and injuring it before taking it to a city kennel, il Giornale reported.

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