In Bizarre Scene, Man Takes Mercedes Down Iconic Spanish Steps And Gets Stuck
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The vehicle descended partway down the steps before coming to a complete stop.
An 80-year-old man unintentionally drove his compact Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan down the famous Spanish Steps in Rome early Tuesday morning, June 12. This led to an unexpected rescue operation involving police, firefighters and a crane. The incident has sparked widespread attention both locally and online.
According to a CNN report, the incident occurred around 4 AM, when the man, navigating through central Rome, mistakenly turned onto the historic staircase. The vehicle descended partway down the steps before coming to a complete stop, wedged and unable to move further.
According to a statement released by city police, the man was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the incident. Officers patrolling the area stopped him and took him to a hospital as a precaution. Medical tests confirmed he had not consumed any substances, and he was found to be uninjured.
The man told officers that he had been 'going to work" when the confusion happened. It is still unclear whether he was relying on a GPS for directions or driving based on memory.
Video footage of the moment is now doing the rounds on the Internet. It shows the grey sedan descending the staircase before getting stuck between the steps. Later in the video, a crane can be seen lifting the car off the steps.
An 80-year-old man got his Mercedes-Benz car stuck while driving down the Spanish Steps in Rome in the early hours of June 17.The driver tested negative for alcohol but was in a state of confusion. #Roman #ITALIANO #Driver #MercedesBenz pic.twitter.com/Okqo0Aazdg — HKeye (@HKeye_) June 19, 2025
The area was quickly cordoned off, and public access to the Spanish Steps has been temporarily restricted. Authorities noted that in cases involving protected heritage sites, archaeologists are called in to assess potential damage. While a visual inspection revealed damage to the vehicle, officials have yet to confirm whether the staircase itself sustained any harm.
The Spanish Steps, or Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti, are among Rome's most iconic landmarks. Built in the 1720s, the grand staircase connects the Trinità dei Monti church at the top to the Piazza di Spagna below. Designed by architects Francesco de Sanctis and Alessandro Specchi, the staircase features 135 travertine stone steps.
This isn't the first time the historic site has faced such an unusual incident. In 2022, a 37-year-old man from Saudi Arabia drove a Maserati down the same staircase, causing physical damage to the monument.
In that case, the driver fled the scene immediately but was later tracked down using surveillance footage and rental car records. He was eventually arrested at Milan's Malpensa airport and was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage and monuments.
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