Car Crashes Through Vatican Checkpoint
A car broke through a checkpoint and raced into the heart of the Vatican, all the way to the entrance of the Apostolic Palace. The driver, apparently mentally confused, was quickly apprehended.
Mentally Unstable Driver Causes Alarm
A man with apparent mental confusion drove his car through a Vatican checkpoint, causing a major security alarm. The car raced through the checkpoint and reached the entrance of the Apostolic Palace in the evening, according to the Holy See.
Authorities quickly took security measures, and responders arrested the driver, defusing the situation within a short time.
Driver Appeared Mentally Unstable
The man, stated to be around 40 years old, initially drove his car towards the open Sant’Anna entrance gate near St. Peter’s Square, where he was refused entry. He then reversed and breached both the Swiss Guard and Vatican Gendarmerie checkpoints at high speed.
A gendarme attempted to stop the car by firing a pistol at the front tires, but only hit the left front fender. Despite the attempt, the car continued through and reached the Damasus Courtyard, almost to the entrance of the Apostolic Palace. The courtyard is often used for transporting state guests to the Pope.
No Direct Threat to Pope Francis
The driver exited the car, and security forces apprehended him. According to the Vatican, physicians from the Vatican Health Services Directorate quickly assessed the driver with a “psychophysical disorder.” The man, reported by Ansa news agency as an Italian, was taken into custody at the Vatican Gendarmerie barracks that evening.
Pope Francis was not in danger at any time since he was residing in the Santa Marta guesthouse, located on the other side of the Vatican, while previous heads of the Catholic Church remained in their private apartments in the Apostolic Palace.
After the incident, a radio alarm was triggered, and the security force closed an access gate that leads to the back of the St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Gardens, and the Santa-Marta Square with the guesthouse.
