Latest news with #SpanishSteps
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Italian Man, 80, Drives Down Rome's Spanish Steps; Has Car Removed From Historic Monument by Crane
An elderly man's car had to be removed via crane from the Spanish Steps in Rome after he drove down them. The man appeared to be in a state of confusion when the municipal police and firefighters arrived at the scene, Il Corriere della Sera reported. The car itself had to be lifted from the steps using a crane, per The New York Times.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- The Independent
Elderly man drives down Rome's historic Spanish steps after mistaking monument for a road
This is the moment an elderly man drove his car down Rome 's historic Spanish Steps, later telling police he thought he was on his way to work. The 81-year-old, wearing a suit and tie, was seen behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan as it descended the 18th-century monument at dawn on Tuesday, 17 June. Speaking to municipal police at the scene, the man reportedly said he did not realise where he was. He tested negative for alcohol, but authorities are now considering whether to revoke his driving licence. Firefighters later removed the vehicle with a crane, while experts from Italy 's culture ministry are assessing possible damage to the landmark.
The Sun
14 hours ago
- The Sun
Shocking moment elderly driver takes his car hurtling down Rome's iconic Spanish Steps – before saying ‘I got mixed up'
THIS is the bizarre moment a driver takes his car for a spin down the staircase of an iconic landmark in Rome - before claiming he "got mixed up". The 80-year-old man is under police investigation after he drove his Mercedes A-class down the historic Spanish Steps in Italy's capital at 4am in the morning on Tuesday. 4 4 4 During questioning, he told police: "I am sorry. I have made a mistake." The elderly man added that he had got mixed up with his directions on the way to work. In the gob-smacking footage, the driver is seen cruising along the road in his silver car in the dead of night. But things take a turn for the worse when the vehicle approaches the monument and then goes down the famed staircase. Bumping along, it slowly descends down a few flights of stairs before making a pit stop in a flat area. Police are then seen approaching the car, seemingly alarmed at the driver's unusual behaviour. He was reportedly in a state of confusion when they approached his car. Local cops said: 'He was uninjured and seemed clear-headed and tested negative for alcohol, but it is strange he claimed he was heading to work at that time of day." They added: "After conducting all necessary checks, the driver was reported to the judicial authorities." Shocking video also showed the car being hauled off the staircase with a crane. Shocking moment two brazen cops are caught romping in field propped against their police car in broad daylight clinch Firefighters stepped in to help the operation and pull the stuck vehicle out of the stairs. The site was cordoned off and a probe was launched to investigate the man for damaging a national monument. He driver also tested negative for alcohol and drugs following the peculiar ordeal. And thankfully, no damage to the steps was recorded. Destroying or causing significant damage to a landmark such as the Spanish Steps is punishable by up to one year in prison and a hefty fine of over €2,000 (£1,700). The 18th-century landmark, built in 1726 and offering stunning views across the city, links the Trinità dei Monti church above with the buzzing Piazza di Spagna below. It is named after the nearby Spanish embassy to the Vatican. Usually packed with holidaymakers, the staircase was luckily empty at the time of the bizarre accident. The iconic monument is 95ft long and nearly 300 years old. 4
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- The Guardian
Share your horror stories of driving abroad
On Tuesday an unfortunate driver in Rome took a wrong turn and became stuck on one of the city's famous monuments, the Spanish Steps. Police said the man tested negative for alcohol, but did not say whether or not he had been using a satnav. Do you have your own horror story of driving while abroad? You can tell us below. You can share your driving abroad horror story using this form. Please include as much detail as possible. Please note, the maximum file size is 5.7 MB. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you include other people's names please ask them first.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Elderly man drives down Rome's Spanish Steps and gets stuck
This image shared by Italy's fire and rescue service shows a vehicle being removed from Rome's Spanish Steps on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Vigili del Fuoco via CNN Newsource) An 80-year-old man has told police he was 'wrong' to drive down Rome's famed Spanish Steps, after firefighters had to recover his vehicle from the landmark in the early hours of Tuesday. The man was not injured in the incident but he was nonetheless taken to the hospital, where he tested negative for both drug and alcohol consumption, city police said in a statement. The driver, who has not been identified, told officers he was 'going to work' and had taken a wrong turn, according to Italian media reports. It is unclear if he was using a GPS device. The gray Mercedes-Benz A-Class car got stuck halfway down the 18th-century staircase around 4 a.m. on Tuesday, the Italian Fire Brigade said in a statement. The car had been stopped by police officers who were patrolling the area. Rome The car's driver told police he was on the way to work when he took a wrong turn. (Vigili del Fuoco via CNN Newsource) The fire department said it had to use a crane at the foot of the steps to lift the vehicle off the stairway. Some damage to the vehicle was visible, but it is unclear whether that was the result of Tuesday's incident. The steps are currently closed to the public. The normal procedure when Rome's historic monuments are involved in an incident is for archaeologists to inspect them for damage. The man had a valid driver's license, according to Italian media. Under Italian law, drivers over the age of 80 are obliged to renew their license every two years and undergo a medical examination, which includes basic cognition questions. Back in 2022, a Saudi man tangled with the law after he drove a Maserati down the Spanish Steps. He was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage and monuments after the car caused fractures to the 16th and 29th steps of the right-hand flight rising up from the Piazza di Spagna. That same year two American tourists were fined and briefly banned from Rome's city center after damaging the steps with electric scooters. The steps owe their name to the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See, which is hosted in a palazzo in the square below. A two-year, 1.5 million-euro ($1.7 million) restoration of the landmark — which has appeared in numerous movies, most notably 1953's 'Roman Holiday,' starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck — was completed in 2015.
