A Mayor on Easter Island Is Up in Arms After a Runaway Pickup Truck Knocked Over a Sacred Statue

The mayor of Easter Island is
determined to restrict vehicular access to heritage sites after a
runaway truck collided with a sacred statue. The accident caused
“incalculable” damage to one of the island’s famous
moai statues. The pick-up truck, which was driven by a Chilean
national who lives on the Pacific island, rolled down a hill and
toppled the standing figure in the crash. Preliminary
investigations suggest that the accident was due to a brake
failure.

Moai are sacred to the
indigenous people of the island, which locals call Rapa Nui. The
community believes that the monuments contain spirits, and the
stone figures are regarded as living embodiments of their
ancestors. 

The island’s mayor, Pedro Edmunds, says he will propose new
traffic rules to the city council after the accident on Sunday,
March 1. The politician says
he wants to ban vehicles from entering heritage and archaeological
sites to protect the sculptures and avoid a repeat of the
accidental damage.

He told local media
outlet El
Mercurio that a
municipal ordinance restricting vehicle access to sacred sites was
proposed eight years ago but “everyone refused.”

That reluctance looks set to
change as the number of tourists continues to
grow. The mayor said
that around 12,000 tourists arrive each month, swelling the
island’s population, which has recently jumped from 8,000 to 12,000
people.

The owner of the truck has been
formally charged with the crime of damaging a national monument. He
faces a fine of between 2,502,050 and 10,004,200 Chilean pesos
($3,000 to $12,000) as well as other criminal consequences pending
the conclusion of a 90 day investigation into the
incident. 

The standing figures are shrouded in mystery. Archaeologists
recently proposed that they were placed close
their sources of fresh water—a precious resource. As well as
moments to their ancestors, it turns out they may have also served
a more utilitarian purpose.

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