The unidentified 56-year-old drove his Scion xB hatchback at the Pearl car wash at East Valley Parkway in Escondido at about 11:45 p.m. Friday, according to Fox 5 San Diego. For some reason, he got out and got stuck between the car and the machine after the vehicle rolled forward, the policeman. Chris Leso told NBC 7. The machine did not appear to be activated at the time of the incident, according to the outlet. The man was alone at the time. An alarm rang from the car wash for 30 minutes, but the victim was not discovered until another customer arrived and called 911. Police released the man and gave him a CARPA before transporting him to Palomar Medical Center, where he died shortly afterwards, Fox reported. Researchers are looking at surveillance plans to determine exactly what happened in the self-service business, where drivers drive forward and stop when asked by lights and signs. The incident was considered a “traffic accident”, not an industrial accident, because the driver was in control of his car at all times – unlike car washes where vehicles move along a conveyor belt.
