Pickup Truck Crashes Into, Destroys Easter Island Moai Statue

One of the world’s iconic statues has been taken out by a pickup truck. And the thing is, nobody was even behind the wheel.

Easter Island is world-famous for its moai statues. However, a resident of the Chilean island was arrested after his personal pickup truck crashed into one of the stone figures and badly damaged it.

Local authorities believe the accident was caused by brake failure that caused the truck to slide downhill.

The island’s cultural heritage organization, Ma’u Henua, has said that the crash caused “significant damage” and that the statues are not only archeological artifacts but sacred elements.

Pedro Pablo Petero Edmunds Paoa, the island’s mayor, is calling for stricter regulations that would prohibit vehicles from driving near the moai. There are approximately 900 statues on the island, several of which have already fallen due to earthquakes and other causes so preserving the remaining moai is crucial.