In the summer of 2026, a young art student’s experience with a three-wheeled Robin Reliant ended abruptly in a crash near Brighton, leaving a lasting impact far beyond physical injury. The incident occurred shortly after an unusual exorcism ritual performed on the vehicle as part of an experimental art project involving a reality makeover show.
The student, who was 20 years old at the time, and a friend had been participating in a contest arranged by a production company that divided participants into two groups: one consisting of design students and the other, art students. Each team was given a used Robin Reliant and £500 with the task of transforming the cars and then auctioning them off, with the aim of raising the highest amount. While the design students opted for a straightforward aesthetic approach of painting their vehicle, the art students embarked on a more unconventional project aimed at altering the car’s essence, including having it psychometrically assessed and ceremonially exorcised.
On the day of the crash, the student and a companion were returning from Beachy Head, where the exorcism had taken place. As they navigated the hilly streets near their halls of residence in Brighton—a city known for its steep seafront roads—the Robin Reliant lost control while turning a sharp corner. The vehicle’s roof struck a parked car, then it tipped onto one wheel and collided with another parked vehicle before coming to rest against the front of a pub. Despite the dramatic nature of the accident and the loud impact, the student suffered only minor injuries, including light whiplash and no broken bones.
The event took place amid local folklore surrounding Beachy Head, where a nearby chalk formation called the Devil’s Chimney had recently collapsed. The site had long been associated with ominous predictions, including a century-old prophecy by Aleister Crowley that an evil curse would befall the area if the structure fell. This belief had prompted local spiritual practitioners to perform protective ceremonies, including those witnessed by the students. However, the subsequent crash led the participants to conclude that these rituals had failed.
Following the accident, the damaged and purportedly “cleansed” Robin Reliant was taken to a car-breaker’s yard and crushed, symbolically ending the project for the student. The incident also left a deeper psychological imprint: the student never learned to drive and developed a lasting fear of speed, particularly as a passenger, despite previously embracing youthful recklessness and spontaneity.
The contest ultimately ended in victory for the design students, who had kept their approach simple and practical. The art student's experience, while physically minor, underscored the unexpected consequences that can emerge from moments of youthful experimentation.