A man in a powered wheelchair died of an escalator that he was trying to use a Washington DC subway station on Wednesdays.

The incident occurred around 13:30. at the Columbia Heights station after the man tried to get out of the station by an escalator rather than an elevator, officials said.

"The man waited 10-15 seconds for the elevator that was in use at the time and was then directed to the escalator," Metropolitan Area spokesman TODAY told US Transit Authority of Washington, in a statement.

"Upon reaching the top of the escalator, the man and his wheelchair fell back and ended up down."

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Witnesses and the station director tried to help the man until the arrival of the doctors, Holzer said. The man was later declared dead in a local hospital.

An escalator at the train station remained closed Wednesday night due to a "customer incident," according to the Transit Authority's website.

The identity of the man has not yet been unveiled.

Contribution: WUSA-TV, Washington.

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