Overview

• On June 17, an 80-year-old man mistakenly drove his Mercedes A-Class down the 135 travertine steps of Rome’s Spanish Steps.
• Firefighters used a crane to extract the wedged vehicle after municipal police intervened early that morning.
• Medical tests confirmed that the uninjured driver had no alcohol or drugs in his system.
• Italian drivers aged 80 and over must renew licenses every two years with medical examinations testing mental acuity, a requirement under scrutiny after the man said he got mixed up en route to work.
• A similar episode in 2022 involved a Saudi national driving a Maserati down the steps, a case that highlights the need for continued vigilance at protected landmarks.