Woman rescued after car crashes down hospital elevator shaft

[RamboLiberal]

SEATTLE — Crews rescued a woman after her car crashed through Sheetrock in a hospital parking garage and plunged 10 feet down an elevator shaft, the Seattle Fire Department said.

The woman, in her 60s, had parked in a handicapped spot on the third level of a parking garage at Virginia Mason Hospital and was preparing to leave when instead of hitting reverse she drove forward, officials said. Her car crashed through a wall and fell down into the unused shaft.

Fire Lt. Sue Stangl said rescuers made sure the power was out and the elevator turned off before they went down to the fourth level, broke through a wall and pulled her out.

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Officials were waiting for a tow truck small enough to fit inside the parking garage to remove the car from the shaft, she said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42964405/ns/us_news-life/

Too bad the show Rescue 911 with William Shatner is not around this would make a great story!

[JI7]

1. when you first hit reverse or forward don't you usually do it slowly ?

or shouldn't you do it slowly to avoid things like this from happening ?

[RamboLiberal]

2. Elderly & handicapped driver - a lot of these accidents happen

Last week one elderly woman went off a parking garage - unfortunately she didn't survive.

You also get many driving into stores.

Best one I read was a teen in my area driving into the driver's exam building right after passing his test. License rescinded.

[uppityperson]

10. 60's is "elderly"? What?

[RamboLiberal]

12. It can be if mental capacities are diminishing

People do age differently and it didn't say what side of 60 she was.

[jberryhill]

7. "things like this"

The ordinary consequences of failing to stop or start correctly in a garage would be along the lines of "hitting a wall", not "plunging down an elevator shaft".

The interesting part of this story, IMHO, was that this parking garage had nothing but sheetrock between where the cars are, and where the shaft is.

That's a tragedy begging to happen.

[petronius]

8. That struck me as well - unless the the reporter was loose with the description,

that sounds like a pretty shoddy building method. I would not have guessed that that was common... :shrug:

[jberryhill]

11. Probably a poorly done re-model

It is pretty astounding that there would be no bollards or other obstacles between an area where there are cars, and an elevator shaft.

But just watch, DUers will make her out to be the next McDonald's coffee cup lady if she gets the idea that the price of a simple mistake should not be a ride down an elevator shaft.

[Brother Buzz]

9. The tire could have been resting against the curb/bumper thing.

She could have gassed it a bit with no movement, then a bit more, and a bit more until the car suddenly jumped over the bumper and lurched forward, all the while, peering backwards and disoriented.

[MichiganVote]

3. Man, talk about a Senior moment.

[underpants]

4. Holy cow that is incredible

:scared:

[WillParkinson]

5. Glad she's OK, but...

I was very confused by the title. I thought they meant the elevator car crashed down the shaft.

[Mrs. Ted Nancy]

6. MSNBC's title is misleading

I was wondering how she managed to drive her car into a hospital. But, I see that it was the parking garage.
I'm glad that she was uninjured. Must have been wearing her seat belt.