A driver in Siberia got more than he bargained for after pulling over another vehicle in a fit of road rage, before being attacked by four life-size children's television characters who were traveling in tow.
The child-unfriendly scene reportedly took place in the city of Chelyabinsk at about 2:30 a.m Saturday morning, and the victim must have thought he was dreaming as SpongeBob SquarePants, Mickey Mouse, a squirrel that looks like Scrat from "Ice Age," and an unidentified rabbit, kicked and punched him as he lay defenselessly on the floor.
After the attack, the characters made a swift getaway in their van — much to the amusement of the passengers in the car behind who captured the entire scene on a dashboard camera and uploaded it to YouTube in a video titled "Rough Chelyabinsk Disney."
"Thank you for waking me up!" one of the witnesses can be heard saying in the video.
The clip has been viewed more than 1.5 million times since Tuesday, but some have begun to question its authenticity.
At the start of the video, the passengers can be heard discussing municipal elections, which take place in Chelyabinsk next Friday. The clip may have been produced by spin doctors to generate publicity ahead of the vote, news website Znak.ru reported.
Chelyabinsk made international headlines last year when dashcam footage of a meteorite streaking across the sky was used in news reports across the globe.
The unexpected meteor strike injured about 1,000 people.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.