An elderly man died on Thursday when his car rolled as he was trying to pay while exiting the parking structure near a popular Southern California shopping center, authorities said.
In a news release, the Irvine Police Department said the man was identified as 88-year-old Robert Ray Bell of Laguna Woods.
Bell was approaching the exit of a parking structure at 100 Spectrum Center Drive at about 3:30 p.m. on Thursday when he stopped his vehicle to pay, police said.
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Authorities said that investigations revealed that it appeared Bell didn’t place his Mazda SUV into the park gear before exiting the car to pay at a machine. At that point, the vehicle began to move forward.
The opened driver’s door then made contact with parking equipment and closed on Bell, police said. He wasn’t able to free himself and was trapped.
A good samaritan nearby attempted to help the man until authorities arrived. He was eventually transported to a local hospital, where he later died.