May 17, 2022, 11:13 am | Read time: 2 minutes
In Rome, a tourist accidentally drove a luxury car down the Spanish Steps, damaging the famous landmark. And not only that: The man then fled the scene. Now he faces a hefty fine.
In footage from surveillance cameras released by the Rome police and provided to TRAVELBOOK, a car is seen speeding from Via Sistina onto the Piazza della Trinità dei Monti, located above the Spanish Steps, and suddenly turning left. Unfortunately, there is no road there, only the top steps of the famous staircase, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Spanish Steps Damaged by Car
Additional footage from another angle shows the car barreling down several steps before coming to a stop at an angle. According to the Rome police, the incident occurred on the night of May 10 to 11. The Spanish Steps were damaged in the accident. With the help of bystanders, the man managed to reverse the car back up the steps. He then fled the scene.
The police’s immediate investigation revealed that the vehicle was a Maserati from a rental company. “The investigation allowed us to trace the data of the rented vehicle in the hours following the incident,” the Rome police told TRAVELBOOK. Thanks to further checks by the police at the Milan-based car rental company, the driver was identified. “The man was apprehended when returning the vehicle at Malpensa Airport,” the police said.
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According to investigators, the man is a businessman from Saudi Arabia who rented the Maserati for his vacation in Italy. “The 37-year-old man was charged with serious damage to cultural and historical monuments,” the police stated. According to the legal portal brocardi.it, the Italian penal code states: “Anyone who destroys, deteriorates, or in any way damages a monument or other object of known value, thereby harming the national archaeological, historical, or artistic heritage, shall be punished with imprisonment of up to one year or a fine of no less than 2,065 euros.”