A California man was crushed to death during a tragic accident at a car wash. Police said the horrific event happened when he got trapped between his vehicle and the machinery.
Fox 5 San Diego reported a Scion xB hatchback was driven into the automatic Pearl Car Wash on East Valley Parkway in Escondido at about 11:45 p.m. Friday by the unidentified 56-year-old.
Police Sgt. Chris Leso told NBC 7 that the man got out for an unknown reason and became pinned between the car and the machinery after the vehicle rolled forward.
According to the outlet, apparently, the machine had not been activated at the time of the incident. No one was with the man at the time.
For as long as 30 minutes, an alarm sounded from the car wash; however, it was not until another customer arrived that the victim was discovered.
The Fox outlet reported that the man was freed by police and administered CPR before taking him to Palomar Medical Center. There he died a short time later.
Investigators are reviewing surveillance footage to determine exactly what happened at the self-service business, where drivers drive forward and stop when prompted by lights and signs.
Because the driver had control of his car the entire time, instead of car washes where vehicles move along a conveyor belt, the incident was ruled a “traffic collision,” not an industrial accident.
