There’s a special kind of commitment to fast food that involves reversing an SUV into a 19th-century landmark and simply refusing to put your meal down. That’s the energy a 21-year-old Frenchman brought to downtown Sydney’s Hyde Park early Wednesday morning when he crashed into the Archibald Fountain—and somehow that wasn’t even the most memorable part of his evening.
According to Police Inspector Anderson Lessing, when officers arrived on scene to find the vehicle half-submerged in the fountain’s pool with its rear wheels stuck in the stone rim, the driver was still there, still eating his McDonald’s.“Strangely, he was still eating Macca’s there,”Lessing told local radio station 702 ABC Sydney, with a tone that suggests even Sydney’s finest weren’t quite sure what they were witnessing. The casual indifference to impending consequences was almost as impressive as the parking job itself.
The man claimed he was delivering a food order when the incident happened—which raises some delightfully awkward questions about the logistics of that particular delivery route. Either way, he was charged with negligent driving, and the historic fountain sustained damage estimated at least Aus$15,000. The driver escaped injury, which is lucky, because explaining to insurance adjusters how you demolished a monument while still holding your Big Mac is a conversation nobody really wants to have. Police never disclosed what he actually ordered, though at this point, the curiosity is almost unbearable.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
