Going down? Driver takes a nosedive in parking lift

Last updated 08:16 09/10/2008

KENT BLECHYNDEN/The Dominion Post

EMERGENCY STOP: Fire crews had to rescue the embarrassed driver from her upended car. She had not driven far enough into the car lift and her towbar got caught on a ledge.

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An embarrassed driver needed a lift from emergency services after her attempt to use a Wellington parking building elevator nosedived.

She drove her Ford Falcon into the car lift in the Taranaki St building shortly after 3pm yesterday and pressed the down button, but her towbar caught on a second-floor ledge as the lift descended – leaving her in a slow drop to the ground floor.

Fire service spokeswoman Belinda Beets said the woman called on her cellphone to say she was upside down and stuck in her car.

"She was calm and uninjured so we just told her, 'Hang in there, we'll be there shortly.' "

Senior station officer Rex Verry said the lift door closed successfully, but the woman had not quite driven far enough in. "She was not injured – only her ego," he said.

The woman, sporting a graze on her thigh, was checked by ambulance staff at the scene after spending about 15 minutes trapped.

She was laughing, but refused to comment.

Mr Verry said he had seen several people drive through car ports and down banks around Wellington but never down a lift shaft.

The woman's insurance company was left with the task of removing the car.

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67 comments

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Oldest First

LB Davis #67 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

beker you are a legend. i now name thee, red 90

MistrX #66 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Bravo, Sir!

Alan #65 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

In response to #4 - lol, excellent response.

In response to the monkey at #1 - get a life genius, this could have happened to anyone - the lift should be designed so that it's not possible to accidentally drive off it. And, as much as it pains me to say it, it's common knowledge that women are safer drivers than men.

:-) #64 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

well it is a ford......

squirrel #63 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

I know the building and lift in question, and the design of the lift makes this entired too easy for this to happen. Server people are at fault: the architects for cramming so many apartments into the builing that a ramp wouldn't fit; and the lift designers/installers who should have interlocks in place so that the lift wouldn't move if there was even a tiny part of the vehicle overhanging.

In saying that, and knowing the lift in question, the final angle of the car makes me thing that more than just the towbar caught.

Luke #62 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

In response to #1.

Reading that just made me a little bit dumber.

FTP #61 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

STOP SAYING MEAN STUFF ABOUT ME I'M BEEN REAL SERIAL!

Daniel #60 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

FTP that???s an odd thing to say for a young lady like your self

DA #59 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

Lift must be very poorly designed in my oppinion, a rear wheel drive car like the Falcon in question would be completely helpless in this situation. I guess had it been an All-wheel-drive, she could have just driven forward as her front wheels were probably still tactile almost till the last moment.

Jack #58 05:26 pm Jan 28 2009

I JUST PROVED I CANT SPELL !!!! I'M A DUMB B**** LOL SHAME TO BE ME

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