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Caught On Video: Car Takes "Rocky" Ride Down Philadelphia Art Museum Steps

By Walt Hunter

PHILADELPHIA (CBS)The steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum, immortalized for many in the movie "Rocky", once again drew international attention as a video, by photographer HughE Dillon, went viral, showing a car coming down the famous steps.

Dillon says he first feared the car, a BMW convertible, would overturn as he saw it scraping down the steep steps, doing, what one source estimates, is thousands in damage.

"I never thought he would make it all the way. I thought he would roll," Dillion said.

The photographer says a crowd quickly gathered, cheering the driver, identified by police as a Drexel University student, then "high fiving" the smiling driver at the bottom. The driver, after several victory laps, according to Dillon, sped off.

Police say the driver, Friday morning, surrendered to Central Detectives and was questioned before being released. He allegedly claimed the brakes failed on his car at the top of the steps.

Detectives, who seized the car in the 2300 block of Ben Franklin Parkway where the drive lives, say they will now test the brakes.

Pending results of that test, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office announced that it had preliminarily approved criminal charges against the driver including Criminal Mischief, a felony.

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