Setota Hailemariam
WMAL.com
A man in a motorized wheelchair was fatally injured on October 10 around 1:30 p.m. at the Columbia Heights Metro station, after attempting to exit the station using the escalator, a Metro spokesperson told WMAL.
Security camera footage revealed that the man originally waited for the elevator, which was working at the time, for 10-15 seconds before getting on the escalator, the spokesperson said. The man positioned his chair on the escalator, held onto handrails and reached the top of the escalator, then fell backwards and landed at the bottom of the escalator.
Several bystanders were present at the scene, including a station manager who administered aid until paramedics came, the spokesperson said.
The man was transported to a local hospital with critical injuries and was later pronounced dead, the spokesperson said. Details of his identity have not been released, as next-of-kin is being notified.
Metro service was not disrupted after the incident, but the escalator has been taken out of service while an investigation is underway, as is standard Metro procedure.
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