Chiesa just collided with a scooter in Florence

News out of Florence today indicates that Federico Chiesa, driving a Mini Cooper (because of course Fede drives a Mini), was involved in a traffic collision today in on the Via Francesco Baracca, just outside the Piazza Puccini in Florence. The Fiorentina winger’s car and a passing scooter struck each other on the side, with the scooter not surprisingly coming out the worse for wear. While the rider was taken to the Careggi Hospital, it sounds like the injuries are thankfully not too serious.

The currently-injured attacker is apparently cooperating fully with the police, who arrived on the scene almost immediately. It’s currently unclear what exactly happened or who is at fault, although the gossip papers will doubtless have plenty to say soon enough. For now, we’re just happy that Fede didn’t hurt himself or anyone else.

It is a reminder, though, that driving in Florence can be pretty tricky. There are a lot of pedestrians, a lot of scooters weaving through traffic, and just generally a lot for a driver to keep track of. I’m always amazed that we don’t get more reports of Viola players involved in crashes in the city, just because it’s really tough to get around in a car there at times, even for someone like Fede who’s been there his whole life. I can’t imagine how much harder it is if you’re trying to follow your GPS, look for street signs (which are nearly impossible to see from the road), and drive safely.

In short, it’s a bummer that this happened, especially for the scooter driver, but it sounds like everyone’s going to be okay. Unless the police find that Chiesa was playing Fortnite at the wheel or something, this is just one of those scary reminders that everyone, even world-class footballers, can get caught up in circumstances beyond their control.