Bellevue Square escalator mishap sends four to hospital
Dec 7, 2012, 5:54 AM | Updated: 9:32 am
Fire officials in Bellevue say four people were transported to hospitals Thursday night after an escalator malfunctioned in a Macy’s store at Bellevue Square.
Fire Lt. Troy Donlin said a man in his 30s suffered a minor injury. Three other people were transported for precautionary checks. They included a woman in her 30s and two 3-year-old children.
Angela Marks, a shopper who witnessed the incident, says it was a scary thing to see. She says the escalator appeared to crunch into itself like a deck of cards or an accordion.
“Hearing the children scream. It was horrible,” says Marks. “People were very shaken up afterwards.”
Donlin described the problem as “some sort of mechanical failure” at the top of the escalator and added that “some steps are not where they belong.” He didn’t know how many people were on the escalator at the time. It was quickly cordoned off although the store remained open.
The mall’s manager says the escalator is checked monthly.
Donlin says Kemper Development has called the state escalator inspector and the company that handles escalator maintenance at the mall.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
