The Ferrari and the hedgehog: Supercar ploughs into barrier in £30,000 smash after swerving to avoid creature on road

By
Daily Mail Reporter

15:25 EST, 8 April 2012

|

18:41 EST, 8 April 2012

Ferrari drivers are better known for showing off on the road than for their respect for woodland creatures.

But one hedgehog in Germany got lucky when it strayed into the path of a Ferrari Testarossa-driving businessman – who was left with a £30,000 repair bill following their encounter.

Joerg Daecher, 53, was driving  home on a route surrounded by woodland when he spotted the animal in his headlights.  

Costly mistake: The Ferrari driver who tried to avoid a hedgehog in Lower Saxony, Germany, ended up swerving into a barrier, causing £30,000 damage

Costly mistake: The Ferrari driver who tried to avoid a hedgehog in Lower Saxony, Germany, ended up swerving into a barrier, causing £30,000 damage

He swerved to avoid running it over, but the Ferrari slipped on wet leaves and smashed into a crash barrier near Eschershausen in Lower Saxony.

The hedgehog and driver escaped unhurt, which is more than can be said for the Ferrari, which costs £85,000 when new.

Escape: The hedgehog crossing the German carriageway (as well as the Ferrari driver) both escaped unhurt (file picture)

Escape: The hedgehog crossing the German carriageway (as well as the Ferrari driver) both escaped unhurt (file picture)

Police spokesman Markus Foerster said the damage to the car was estimated at around £30,000.

The damage caused in Germany was just a drop in the ocean compared to a supercar pile-up before Christmas.

In December a smash involving eight Ferraris, three Mercedes, a Lamborghini and a Skyline (aswell as a Toyota Prius), caused damage totaling a whopping £2.5m.

The thirteen high-end sports cars crashed on the Chugoku Expressway in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, as one of the Ferrari drivers led a convoy of sports car connoisseurs.

Ten people were rushed to hospital after the smash on December 5, but none of their injuries were said to be serious.

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What a bit of luck he didn;t run over the hedgehog. The spikes could have punctured his tyres

What a nice guy, and I’m glad that neither was hurt. Insurance probably paid for the car, so no loss.

His insurer must have thought…. Mein God it is ze old hedgehog one again.

awwww!
whatt a lovely guy..ahem….
i am soo disappointed, DM, at the lazy journalism here- why only a file picture of some random no-name hedgehog- probably not even a German one!- instead of the actual lucky critter who escaped death at the hands of Mr Testarossa? Get a quote! Show us his hedge, his wife and kids!
unless of course the driver was actually making the whole lot up to distract attention form his being a) drunk as a skunk and/or b) unable to drive his powerful car very well at more than 30mph….. So find the hedgehog and lets clear this up shall we.

Hedghogs . Evil creatures of darkness .Spawn of the devil . Prickly rats . I love them they’er so cute.

Not leaves on the line but leaves on the Road. Can,t see many leaves on that Road.

Hedgehogs eh! Why can’t they just share the hedge?

I hope the hedgehog paid for he damage.

Any further info on the hedgehog, value of his house, occupation etc?

The Testarossa is not something I would call a supercar. It’s one of the few cars that Ferrari probably regrets producing. Was built for flashy cruising on Rodeo Drive….not for performance. This would be a good story if it was an Enzo perhaps.

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