A traffic officer’s late-night joke with firecrackers sent 35 military horses bolting down one of Rome’s busiest roads. In total, four people and up to 15 animals were injured — the night before final rehearsals for the 2 June celebrations.
An investigation is under way in Rome after around 35 Italian military horses broke loose and stampeded through traffic on Via Cristoforo Colombo in the early hours of Saturday morning. The incident left four people and up to 15 animals injured. It also provoked serious questions about a moment of apparent recklessness by a serving municipal officer.
The horses had been assembled near the Baths of Caracalla for a late-night rehearsal ahead of Italy’s Festa della Repubblica parade on 2 June. They bolted after being spooked by fireworks detonated in close proximity to the animals. The perpetrator is reportedly a municipal traffic officer on duty at the scene, in the company of several colleagues. According to the initial reconstruction of events, the battery of firecrackers was set off approximately 200 metres away.
The officer admits to igniting the fireworks but claimed the act was intended as a joke and was not meant to cause harm. Investigators are likely to find that defence difficult to sustain.
Injuries and chaos
The stampede sent the terrified animals charging into one of Rome’s busiest roads. Soldiers and police officers attempted, at considerable personal risk, to bring them under control. Four people were injured in the chaos: a female soldier sustained broken ribs and a punctured lung; a female police officer suffered facial injuries after being knocked to the ground; and two male soldiers were treated by emergency services for less serious injuries.
Around 15 horses were also hurt and placed under the care of veterinary staff. Unconfirmed reports suggest that at least one animal sustained wounds so severe that it had to be put down.
The Carabinieri have launched an inquiry and notified the public prosecutor’s office. The charges under consideration include causing bodily harm and the unauthorised ignition of fireworks. Municipal police confirmed they were cooperating with the Carabinieri and gathering CCTV footage from the area. They are trying to establish whether the explosions occurred at a single location or at multiple points simultaneously. If the latter, it would point to something more coordinated, not a spontaneous act.
