Overview

• At 4 a.m. on June 17, an 80-year-old man accidentally drove his Mercedes down the Spanish Steps, stopping midway on the 18th-century staircase.
• Municipal police and firefighters arrived to find him disoriented but unharmed before coordinating a crane operation to remove the car.
• He was taken to a hospital as a precaution, where screenings confirmed he was sober and drug-free, and experts found no damage to the monument.
• The driver, who holds a valid license and said he ‘got mixed up’ while heading to work, was cited on the spot.
• Authorities have referred the incident to judicial bodies under laws protecting cultural heritage, which carry penalties of up to one year in prison and fines exceeding €2,000.