A Man Drove a Car Down Rome’s Spanish Steps. It Did Not Go Great. – The New York Times
How did your country report this? Share your view in the comments.
Diverging Reports Breakdown
Elderly man drives down Rome’s Spanish Steps and gets stuck
Mercedes-Benz A-Class car gets stuck halfway down Rome’s Spanish Steps. 80-year-old driver told police he was on the way to work when he took a wrong turn. Firefighters had to use a crane to lift the vehicle off the stairway. The man was not injured in the incident but was taken to the hospital, where he tested negative for both drug and alcohol consumption, city police said in a statement. A two-year, 1.5 million-euro ($1.7 million) restoration of the landmark was completed in 2015.
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 car’s driver told police he was on the way to work when he took a wrong turn. – Vigili del Fuoco
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.
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.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Elderly Man Somehow Gets Mercedes A-Class Stuck Driving Down Rome’s Spanish Steps
A man drove his car down Rome’s Spanish Steps at 4:30 a.m. local time. Authorities have not released his name or confirmed whether he personally owned the car. They also have yet to clarify whether or not he was using GPS navigation, which could possibly help explain how he got turned around. This isn’t the first time someone has driven a car down the steps or even the first incident in recent memory.
Local authorities cited the man when they arrived but have not released his name or confirmed whether he personally owned the car or not. They also have yet to clarify whether or not he was using GPS navigation, which could possibly help explain how he got turned around. Considering he’s reportedly 80, it wouldn’t be surprising if we eventually found out there were age-related issues at play, and he really shouldn’t have been driving anymore, but at least for now, there’s no evidence to support that theory.
Arguably, no one should drive in Rome because there’s too much traffic.
Authorities were able to remove the car, but to avoid damaging the Steps, which were first built back in the 1720s, they ended up bringing in a crane to lift it to safety. ABC News also reports that local authorities did not respond to a request for more information, so it’s possible we may never know more about what happened.
This also isn’t the first time someone has driven a car down Rome’s Spanish Steps or even the first incident in recent memory. Back in 2022, a 37-year-old Saudi man drove his rented Maserati down the steps and was later arrested at the airport in Milan, CNN reports. Following his arrest, he was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage and monuments, as his little escapade broke the 16th and 29th steps on the right side of the monument.
Elderly Man Gets Stuck Driving Luxury Car Down Rome’s Spanish Steps
The man was booked on the spot for driving his Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan down the landmark destination. The car was later removed by firefighters using a crane.
The man tested negative for alcohol and was booked on the spot for driving his Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan down the landmark destination.
Police said that the Rome residents could not explain how he ended up driving down the steps.
The car was later removed by firefighters using a crane.
This is not the first time a person has driven down the steps. In 2022, a Saudi man was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage after a surveillance camera recorded him driving a rented Maserati down the steps.
80-year-old Drives Luxury Mercedes Sedan Down Rome’s Spanish Steps, Gets Stuck
An 80-year-old man drove a compact luxury Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan down the landmark Spanish Steps in Rome early on Tuesday. Police did not identify the driver or say if the car was his. The small sporty car was later removed by firefighters using a crane. The Spanish Steps take their name from the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the nearby square.
The man tested negative for alcohol, and was cited on the spot for driving down the monument in Rome’s historic centre, police said.
Also Read | PNB Fraud Case: Accused Mehul Choksi Sues Indian Government, 5 Others in UK Court Over Alleged Kidnap, Torture and Attempted Rendition.
Police did not identify the driver or say if the car was his. They also did not say whether or not he was using a navigator.
The small sporty car was later removed by firefighters using a crane. Police did not respond to requests for more details about the dynamics of the apparent accident.
Also Read | Basmati Rice To Get Cheaper in India? Basmati Rice Prices May Fall As India-Iran Trade Disrupted by Conflict, Say Experts.
One of Rome’s most recognisable monuments, the Spanish Steps, have never been intended for motor vehicles, although some thrill seekers have tried their luck.
A Saudi man was charged with aggravated damage to cultural heritage after a surveillance camera recorded him driving a rented Maserati down the 135 travertine steps in 2022.
The Spanish Steps take their name from the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See in the nearby square. A famed background for numerous films, they were built in the 1720s and have long been a popular spot to people watch and hang out. (AP)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)