Photo: ABC News
We’re used to seeing stuff like this in action movies, but the people of Santa Monica rarely see an incident as spectacular as this in real life: a car was left dangling from the 4th story of a parking structure and a tourist rushed to save the woman stuck behind the wheel.
The incident took place at the City Parking Structure No 5 at 1440 4th Street in the morning, and required a massive intervention from the Santa Monica Fire Department until it was safely contained. Luckily, no one was hurt, though the danger was high both for the driver of the car and passers-by and motorists below.
A 60-year-old woman was attempting to park her silver Honda Civic and she accidentally hit the acceleration instead of the brakes on her car. This send the vehicle over the edge of the parking structure, being held in place only by the steel cables that surround the structure.
A man, identified in the media only as a “French tourist” who did not want any recognition for his heroic deed, rushed and saved the woman. He helped her out of the car and over the steel cables, back to safety. He then waited with her until firefighters arrived on the scene and hoisted the vehicle back from the edge, ABC News confirms.
The intervention was over an hour long and difficult, requiring 25 firefighters and assistance the SMPD and the Pacific Tow Company of Santa Monica, which offered 2 towing trucks to pull the silver sedan from the edge.
“It was like a movie, really. It was so wild,” eyewitness Roy Huysdens tells the ABC News affiliate. “She came out that far with the car and that the car kept hanging there. I mean one foot more and the car probably would have come down all the way.”
The woman was only “shaken” but not injured in the accident. The Good Samaritan left right after firefighters contained the incident, refusing to talk to the media or offer authorities his name.
A 60-year-old woman was attempting to park her silver Honda Civic and she accidentally hit the acceleration instead of the brakes on her car. This send the vehicle over the edge of the parking structure, being held in place only by the steel cables that surround the structure.
A man, identified in the media only as a “French tourist” who did not want any recognition for his heroic deed, rushed and saved the woman. He helped her out of the car and over the steel cables, back to safety. He then waited with her until firefighters arrived on the scene and hoisted the vehicle back from the edge, ABC News confirms.
The intervention was over an hour long and difficult, requiring 25 firefighters and assistance the SMPD and the Pacific Tow Company of Santa Monica, which offered 2 towing trucks to pull the silver sedan from the edge.
“It was like a movie, really. It was so wild,” eyewitness Roy Huysdens tells the ABC News affiliate. “She came out that far with the car and that the car kept hanging there. I mean one foot more and the car probably would have come down all the way.”
The woman was only “shaken” but not injured in the accident. The Good Samaritan left right after firefighters contained the incident, refusing to talk to the media or offer authorities his name.
INCIDENT ALERT: @santamonicafd is on scene of a vehicle hanging off of the 4th floor of Parking Structure 5 on 1400blk of 4th St. Occupants unharmmed. USAR team is stabilizing vehicle and working to remove from the edge. Please avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/EfwYmaYFcv
— Santa Monica Fire (@santamonicafd) June 11, 2018
Incident Update: Vehicle has been safely removed. No injuries reported. @SantaMonicaPD are securing the area. 4th street will remain closed for approx. 1 hour. pic.twitter.com/dMFv8z6Cjt
— Santa Monica Fire (@santamonicafd) June 11, 2018
Google News