The dramatic moment a pensioner gets stuck driving down iconic Rome landmark - before being hoisted out by crane
A pensioner accidentally got stuck driving down Rome's famous Spanish Steps, and ended up having to be rescued by police, firefighters and a crane.
At around 4am on Tuesday, an unnamed 80-year-old man was driving his Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan through Italy 's capital, when he accidentally turned onto the historic landmark.
A video that's gone viral shows the car falling halfway down the 135 stone steps, before coming to a complete stop, wedged and unable to move further.
The car is then seen being lifted off the Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti by a crane.
Following the incident, the area was quickly cordoned off, police officers and firefighters were called to the scene, and public access to the Spanish Steps was temporarily restricted.
According to CNN, archaeologists were also brought in to assess the site for any damage, which is a common occurrence with protected heritage sites.
Although an inspection revealed damage to the vehicle, officials have yet to confirm whether the staircase itself sustained any harm.
While it's unclear how exactly this accident happened, the man told police he'd been 'going to work' at the time.
While it's unclear how exactly this accident happened, the man told police he'd been 'going to work' at the time
The officers at the scene stopped him and took him to hospital, where tests confirmed he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and was unharmed.
This isn't the first time someone has mistakenly driven down the Spanish Steps.
In 2022, a 37-year-old man from Saudi Arabia drove a Maserati down the same staircase, causing physical damage to the monument.
Unlike this man, that driver fled the scene but was later tracked down thanks to CCTV footage and rental car records.
He was eventually arrested at Milan's Malpensa airport and charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage and monuments.
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