In a rush on his way to one of his heats at the Rip Curl Pro Bells on Monday, April 2, 2015 World Champion Adriano de Souza of Brazil collided head-on with a taxi and did not stop to assess the situation but continued on his way to the event.

“I’m sorry, I can’t stop,” De Souza told the injured taxi driver, according to records from the Geelong Magistrates Court (in Victoria, where Bells is located) that held a hearing last week, reported the local newspaper. Geelong Advertiser.

The Brazilian did not appear in court or send a representative, but he did send an email explaining that his Australian visa had expired and that he would be competing in Indonesia.

The police report details that the Brazilian was driving illegally on the emergency lane on the way to Bells when he collided with the front of the taxi that was making a U-turn.

For this reason, the authorities fined him for reckless driving and failing to keep the car on the left side.

The court had initially planned to hold a hearing without the Brazilian being present, but prosecutors investigated and it emerged that the Brazilian may have been following the organizers' recommendations when he crashed.

“At the time of the alleged offence, the professional surfers had been instructed that if they were running late they could drive on the wrong side of the road. Within the designated area. This happened outside,” said prosecutor Constable Kylie Jane.

It doesn't seem like the matter will end up any more serious than a couple of fines and paying the insurance deductible.

What definitely happened was that it affected his game, since a short while after the clash, he was losing to Conner Coffin by 9,83 versus 9,63 in a series in which something was clearly not right.

In the video below: Adriano was very unsure of his maneuvers in a series in which he was the favorite and lost by a very narrow margin to Conner Coffin. Now we know what happened to him.