A man was killed inside a Southern California car wash after he got out of his vehicle and as w pinned against machinery, authorities said Monday.
The fatal accident happened late Friday at a self-service car wash in the 2100 block of East Valley Parkway in Escondido, which is about 35 miles north of downtown San Diego and 110 miles south of central Los Angeles, police said.
That’s where the unidentified man, 56, became “trapped between a 2014 Scion XB and a part of the car wash machinery,” police said in a statement.
“The preliminary investigation indicated that the man drove into the car wash and for an unknown reason, tried to exit his vehicle,” the statement continued.
The car lurched forward and left, pinning the man to a column that houses one of the large rolling brushes when it’s not in use, Lt. Scott Walters said.
The accident caused an alarm to sound, drawing the attention of another nearby customer, who called police, he said.
Officers managed to pull the man out and he was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.
A representative for the car wash couldn’t be reached for comment. Police said “it does not appear the car wash had been activated at the time of the collision.”