A western German driver narrowly avoided a fine after a bird miraculously flew in the path of a speed camera and obscured the image on May 21.
North Rhine-Westphalia Police described the moment a pigeon appeared in the frame and obscured the driver’s face, concealing necessary evidence to prove who was behind the wheel, as a form of divine intervention from the “Holy Spirit.”
“The Holy Spirit may have thought something of it when he placed his symbol [to help the driver],” police said in a statement.
Speeding Pigeons Part 2.
A German driver was caught by speed cameras, but his identity was hidden by the bird’s wings. And was thus saved of a €105 fine.
Whether the pigeon was ignoring blue flags is unknown. pic.twitter.com/Pr3PoNR0XW
— Parc Fermé (@PFF1) May 28, 2019
Photo bomb: Man avoids fine after pigeon blocks speed camera https://t.co/A1IRhXrYkQ #cars
— THE PRESS (@pres5ar) May 29, 2019
The radar had detected the driver was traveling 54 km/h (33.5 mph) on a 30 km/h (18.6 mph) stretch of Amerner Way near Viersen, 166 miles northwest of Frankfurt. The penalty would have been a 105 euro ($117) fine but, after reviewing the image, police decided not to issue an infringement provided the driver also took it as a divine message to slow down.
“We have understood the sign and leave the speeder in peace this time,” police said. “We associate with it the hope that the protected speeder understands this ‘hint from above’ as well and drives appropriately in the future.”
In theory the pigeon was also speeding and could have been issued the same fine.
“Actually, the pigeon would have earned a fine, because he was ultimately too fast on the way but, since we do not know where he lives at Pentecost, we allow grace to prevail here too,” police said.
Photo bomb: Man avoids fine after pigeon blocks speed camera https://t.co/uKWzkpUkJK
— The pres5 (@thepres5) May 29, 2019
On social media police confirmed neither the driver nor pigeon received a warning.
“Neither [the] driver nor pigeon were warned,” police wrote on Twitter. “Saved [from being] fined, the Holy Spirit may have thought something of it.”
Bußgeld gespart. Der Heilige Geist mag sich etwas dabei gedacht haben. 54km/h statt erlaubten 30km/h. Weder Fahrer noch Taube werden verwarnt. https://t.co/I6QCFfXQOO pic.twitter.com/HcqolAWemu
— Polizei NRW VIE (@polizei_nrw_vie) May 27, 2019
A pigeon was caught by a speed camera in Bocholt, Germany.
The bird was flying 45 kph in a 30 kph zone ???????? pic.twitter.com/3FWOzdmrSE
— Parc Fermé (@PFF1) May 7, 2019
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
