She doesn’t remember her Rolls-Royce off-roading, but her neighbors are feeling the damages to their $3 million statue.
We may never know what caused a 66-year-old woman to drive her Rolls-Royce through a private backyard and onto the sandy Palm Beach on the evening of March 31 because of one problem. She doesn’t remember.
In fact, Elizabeth S. Raese doesn’t remember the hours before she brought her $500,000 Rolls-Royce to its final resting place perched against the seawall. The police say she didn’t look intoxicated, but they did not elaborate on her medical condition.
This was not a six-wheeled Rolls Royce Phantom modified for crazy off-road use. It was a road-worthy convertible meant for pleasure cruises.
The Rolls-Royce Dawn driven by Raese is the same model Ronaldo’s girlfriend got him for Christmas in 2022. It is one of the most expensive luxury cars on the market, and Raese drove hers headlong into the sand. It is a mystery that may never be understood because of the driver’s memory loss.
Raese’s off-road Rolls-Royce adventure came to an end with her car’s nose in the sand. The excursion caused over $3 million in damages because she happened to hit a homeowner’s pricey statue and damage the sea wall. The police reported no injuries to bystanders, but the driver’s condition is unknown.
Driving on the beach is a favorite pastime for some Floridians. It is illegal to drive on the beaches in Palm Beach County without a permit, and it’s unclear if it was allowed at all on the beach where Raese’s rogue event ended. Police have not said if she’ll be receiving a citation.
How A Rolls-Royce Ended Up With Its Nose In The Sand
There are some clues about what happened on the night of March 31st. Cameras captured Raese driving off of Canterbury Lane a little after 6 p.m. She was headed eastbound over the curb and into a driveway. At that time, the vehicle stopped but only for a moment. Then, Raese continued into the resident’s backyard. This is where she hit a sculpture and went through the back fence.
At the end of the yard was the beach. Raese’ Rolls-Royce was unable to handle the five-foot drop over the sea wall. It landed with its nose in the sand and rear end suspended up against the wall.
Costs to repair the seawall are estimated at $10,000. Curb and fence damage is about $100. The most expensive damage is to the statue.
A $500,000 Rolls-Royce Wreck Causes $3.5 Million In Damages
Any Roll-Royce wreck will cost a lot. It’s a car with an interesting history, but the most well-known fact about Rolls Royce vehicles is that they are expensive. That’s why there aren’t any crash test ratings available for these low-production vehicles. They’re just flat out too expensive to sacrifice in the name of testing. However, Raese’s damages cost many times more than the value of her vehicle. That’s because of the Damien Hirst sculpture that she hit.
Raese rammed through the backyard of hedge fund manager/art collector Steven Tananbaum. The statue she hit was called Sphinx, and it was part of HIrst’s “Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable.” It was covered in coral and sustained considerable damage.
Pictures of the 3-million-dollar statue show it only being tipped over from its pedestal, but the coral components made it fragile to such a fall. Some might question its value, but one of Hirst’s statues sold for £10.3 million in 2018. Three million USD is completely within range.
The homes on Canterbury Lane sell for upwards of $10 million. That increases the chances of hitting large, expensive artwork if you decide to go off-roading through this luxury residential neighborhood. In this case, it made an expensive car accident much, much worse.
Rolls-Royce Dawn Doesn’t Do Sand Or Seawalls
Raese’s vehicle appears to be a Rolls-Royce Dawn, and although its convertible body style makes it perfect for beach outings, it couldn’t handle the Palm Beach seawall. Photos don’t show a ton of body damage, but there could be extensive structural damage from the way the car landed.
Rolls-Royce is ending its Dawn production in 2023. It is replacing gas-powered vehicles with electric options such as the Spectre. This doesn’t do anything to decrease the price of current Dawn models.
The estimated price tag of a 2022 Rolls-Royce Dawn was $355,420 to $370,320. Depending on the model year, trim level and of course all the custom options, Raese could easily be looking at a loss of up to $500,000 if her vehicle is totaled.
Rolls Royce is already notoriously expensive to maintain and repair, so if the vehicle is salvaged, it could still be a spendy proposition.
Sand provides a softer landing than some crash surfaces, so it is possible that the damages might be minimal. There is very little information out about damages sustained by the vehicle or the driver.
Overall, Palm Beach Floridians can rest easy knowing no bystanders were hurt in the accident, and Raese received the medical attention required to prevent this from happening again.
Source: Palm Beach Daily News, Palm Beach Police Department
