Woman Hangs Over the Edge from a Parking Garage on 4th Street After collision

Vehicle Collision at Santa Monica Parking Garage

On Monday at 10:30 a.m. Santa Monica Firefighters responded to City Parking Structure # 5 located at 1440 4th Street for a report of a vehicle hanging off the side of the 5th floor parking level. Fire resources arrived within 5 minutes 47 seconds and found a late model Honda Civic that had driven off of the parking platform and was precariously hanging over the edge, only held in place by steel barrier cables. Prior to first responders arriving, a bystander who witnessed the incident within the parking garage, sprang into action and pulled the driver from the vehicle. The driver, a female in her 60’s, reported that she inadvertently depressed the accelerator instead of the brake pedal while attempting to park.

Members of the Santa Monica Fire Department’s Urban Search & Rescue Team quickly secured the vehicle to prevent it from falling any further, while Santa Monica Police Officers evacuated the area and set up a safety perimeter. Firefighters requested 2 tow trucks from a local tow company to assist in executing their plan on safely pulling the vehicle from the edge and back to safety. At 11:45 a.m. the operation was complete and all hazards were mitigated.

25 Firefighters responded with assistance from the Santa Monica Police Department and the Pacific Tow Company of Santa Monica. The driver was evaluated by Paramedics, fortunately there were no injuries reported to the driver, bystanders, or first responders.

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Santa Monica Fire Department 333 Olympic Drive, 2nd Floor Santa Monica, CA 90401 ta Monica Fire Department first responders dragged a car back from plunging off the third story of the City parking garage on 4th Street and Broadway this afternoon, multiple witnesses reported.

The incident occurred late Monday morning. "The driver must have been texting," said one witness, shaking his head. Santa Monica Police closed 4th Street, a very busy North South thoroughfare, for nearly 2 hours after the mishap.

"A few years ago when my kids were little, I was always concerned about these wires that have huge gaps. The city has spent millions on the renovations within the last few years on these structures, but failed to address the safety aspect," noted one local resident.

The Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) is the primary fire and medical response agency for City of Santa Monica, California. It is responsible for protecting approximately 92,000 residents spread out across 8.3 square miles. In 1974, the SMFD became the first fire department in the United States to provide paramedic services via fire engines.

They are often criticized for being overpaid and under-used, though naturally not in situations such as this one.