ROME (AP) — An 80-year-old man drove a compact luxurious Mercedes-Benz A Class sedan down the landmark Spanish Steps in Rome early on Tuesday earlier than getting caught half manner down, municipal police mentioned in an announcement.
The person examined adverse for alcohol, and was cited on the spot for driving down the monument in Rome’s historic heart, police mentioned. Police mentioned the person, a resident of Rome, was at a loss to elucidate how he had wound up driving down the famed steps. They didn’t launch his title and it was unclear if the automobile was his.
The small sporty automobile was later eliminated by firefighters utilizing a crane. Police didn’t reply to requests for extra particulars concerning the dynamics of the obvious accident.
Considered one of Rome’s most recognizable monuments, the Spanish Steps have by no means been supposed for motor automobiles, though some thrill seekers have tried their luck. A Saudi man was charged with aggravated harm to cultural heritage after a surveillance digicam recorded him driving a rented Maserati down the 135 travertine steps in 2022.
The Spanish Steps take their title from the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See within the close by sq.. A famed background for quite a few movies, they had been constructed within the 1720s and have lengthy been a preferred spot to individuals watch and hang around.