Investigators tend to a scene following a fatal accident on an escalator located in Hallidie Plaza in downtown San Francisco. Photos by Luke Thomas.
By Luke Thomas
April 19, 2011
A man died this afternoon following an accident on an escalator in Hallidie Plaza, located outside the Powell Street Muni and BART station.
Emergency services were called to the scene at approximately 1 pm.
The man, aged 50, fell while traveling repeatedly up and down the escalator, San Francisco police Sgt. Michael Andraychak said.
After the man fell, articles of his clothing became entangled at the base of the mechanized conveyance, a witness said. He was transported to San Francisco General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Shredded clothing is removed from the base of the escalator and collected as evidence.
It is unclear if the man died as a result of his injuries or from a possible heart attack. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, Andraychak said.
An investigation is ongoing.
Luke Thomas
Luke Thomas is a former software developer and computer consultant who proudly hails from London, England. In 2001, Thomas took a yearlong sabbatical to travel and develop a photographic portfolio. Upon his return to the US, Thomas studied photojournalism to pursue a career in journalism. In 2004, Thomas worked for several neighborhood newspapers in San Francisco before accepting a partnership agreement with the SanFranciscoSentinel.com, a news website formerly covering local, state and national politics. In September 2006, Thomas launched FogCityJournal.com. The BBC, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, New York Times, Der Spiegel, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Magazine, 7x7, San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the San Francisco Weekly, among other publications and news outlets, have published his work. Thomas is a member of the Freelance Unit of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, TNG-CWA Local 39521 and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.
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April 28, 2011 at 8:08 pm
My friend has a jewelry stand right there, and he and another friend told me the man’s hair got caught in the escalator, and he was literally scalped. Horrible.
April 19, 2011 at 8:02 pm
Unrelated but related question,
This has to be classified as police coverage and I recall Pat Murphy losing his press pass cause the cops claimed he didn’t do any. Well, what about every other reporter in town who doesn’t cover the cops at fires and other emergencies like this?
Giants win again!
h.