A car ended up on the Spanish Steps of Trinità dei Monti, one of the capital’s most famous sites, in the early hours of dawn. Driving the vehicle was an 80-year-old man who, due to causes still being ascertained, drove his car down part of the steps without sustaining any injuries. The incident required the timely intervention of the Fire Department, which operated using special means to remove the vehicle and avert damage to the monument. The dynamics of the incident is still not entirely clear. According to initial reconstructions, the elderly driver would have been transiting near the Spanish Steps when, for reasons still being verified, he would have entered the pedestrian area, ending up with the vehicle on the historic staircase. The section traveled includes several steps, but the car stopped before reaching the lower section, avoiding more serious impacts. Firefighting teams immediately arrived on the scene and were activated to handle a situation that was as delicate as it was potentially damaging to one of the world’s best-known architectural assets. Authorities set up a safety zone around the staircase, blocking access to pedestrians during the operations.
The Roma Capitale Local Police also responded to the scene, tasked with conducting technical surveys to ascertain the exact trajectory of the vehicle and any possible responsibility. Officers listened to the driver, who was alone in the car and reportedly did not require medical attention. After routine checks, the man was charged. Alcohol tests performed at the scene yielded negative results. The investigation remains open, with further inquiries being made by white helmets. It is not yet clear whether it was a maneuvering error, a malfunction or a vehicle malfunction.
The entire operation took place within a few hours and ended without further consequences for either the man driving or the people present in the area at the time of the accident, given also the very early morning hours that helped to contain the risks. The vehicle was removed without causing any obvious structural damage to the steps. This is not the first such incident. In May 2022, another motorist had ended up on the same staircase with a Maserati, visibly damaging some of the steps. In that case the driver, a Romanian national, had driven away before the arrival of the Local Police. Investigations, however, allowed him to be identified and charged. The camera images and testimonies collected were decisive in tracing his identity.
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| Rome, car on Trinità dei Monti steps: 80-year-old driver, monument safe |
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