Second Blindfold Drive Beats First

An Italian conjurer, who crashed into a tree on his first attempt to drive blindfolded around this Sicilian town to prove his magical powers, has succeeded on his second run.

Local organizers said Salvo Testa, 41, known professionally as “Raptus,” drove an open sports car on Sunday for almost 2 1/2 miles at an average speed of 41 m.p.h. without hitting anything.

They said Testa, followed in another car by a lawyer, almost left the road on several occasions. His first attempt on April 30 ended abruptly when he swerved off the road.

He claimed later he lost control of the car only because he sensed that a dog, which nobody else saw, was in his way.