Man Crushed To Death In Elevator Shaft At SF Montgomery Station
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A man was found dead in an elevator shaft at the Montgomery Bay Area Rapid Transit and San Francisco Municipal Railway station Sunday night, a BART police lieutenant said.
BART and San Francisco police, as well as San Francisco fire personnel, responded to a report of a person stuck in an elevator at the Montgomery station about 9:35 p.m., BART police Lt. John Conneely said.
Employees at Montgomery station managed to get a man out of the elevator, but had requested for an ambulance, Conneely said.
The man who was stuck in the elevator told police he was going from the Muni level up to the concourse level when he heard a crunching sound and a man yelp before the elevator stopped, Conneely said.
Conneely said that fire personnel found a man in the shaft. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Some personal effects were found on the top of the elevator car, but Conneely said it is unknown if they belong to the deceased man.
It is unknown how the man got there, and how long he had been in the shaft, Conneely said.
"It appears he may have been sleeping atop the elevator and was crushed," he said.
Man Crushed To Death In BART Elevator Shaft In San Francisco Station
BART Communications Manager Alicia Trost said late Monday morning it's hoped to have the elevator operating again by March 20th, if not sooner and that state inspectors have been called to notify them of Monday morning's incident.
The inspectors will come out to ensure the elevator is safe and review the BART investigation with an independent review.
Trost said there are only two points of entry into the shaft. One is the ventilation shafts that lead to the elevator shafts. They have been checked and were found to be secure according to her.
The other is the hatch door in the elevator. Trost said one would need a boost to get up there.
"Every night we sweep each station before closing up. No one is allowed to be in the station during non-revenue hours," she said.
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