An elderly man died Thursday when he was struck by a car as he tried to pay his way out of a parking lot at a popular Southern California shopping center, authorities said.
The Irvine Police Department said in a news release that the man was identified as 88-year-old Robert Ray Bell of Laguna Woods.
Police said Bell approached the exit of a parking lot in the 100 block of Spectrum Center Drive on Thursday around 3:30 p.m. and stopped to pay the fare.
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Authorities said an investigation revealed Bell apparently did not put the Mazda SUV into park gear before exiting the vehicle to pay at the machine. At that moment, the car started moving forward.
Police say the open driver’s door made contact with the parking device, which caused the door to close against the bell. He was unable to free himself and became trapped.
Good Samaritans nearby tried to help the man until authorities arrived. He was eventually taken to a local hospital, where he later died.
Additional details were not immediately released.
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