A statue of the Apostle James on a bridge in the Czech Republic alarms drivers when it is mistaken for a suicide
Chotikov, Czechia – A new sculpture of the Apostle James, installed on a pedestrian bridge in the Czech municipality of Chotíkov, has become the center of an unexpected controversy after causing a flood of emergency calls.
The figure, work of the artist Jan Hendrych, was placed in the recently inaugurated «Bridge of Santiago», a footbridge that crosses the E49 road, and whose location is due to the fact that the area is part of a route of the Camino de Santiago.
The problem arose when several drivers confused the silhouette of the statue, made of concrete, with that of a person about to jump into the void. The alarm generated "mass hysteria," according to Mayor Eva Hirschfeldová, who regretted that the confusion overshadowed the quality of the artistic work.
Although the installation was authorized by the urban planning department, the regional police had already warned about a possible risk of distraction. The controversy has escalated to the point that the Pilsen Regional Council has ordered a review of the situation, leaving the future of the statue in the air.
While the situation is resolved, the City Council plans to implement additional safety measures, such as lighting and signage, to avoid future confusion.
