Car crashes into LA Fitness, ends up in pool

A car crashed through a glass door and into the pool of a North Seattle LA Fitness Monday morning after police say a man accidentally stepped on the gas pedal while parking.

The Seattle Fire Department was called at 7:42 a.m. to the LA Fitness located in the 13000 block of Aurora Avenue.

A 69-year-old man was parking his car in the lot just outside the gym building when he unintentionally stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake, according to Seattle police, who said the jumped the curb, veered into the glass door and crashed into the pool.

Swimmer Noah Schlenk said he and another man were swimming at the time while a third man was jogging in the water. Fortunately, the car didn't hit any of them.

"I've been a lifeguard for maybe five or six years now and I've never had a car, like, fall into the pool before!," Schlenk said.

He said he was swimming when he saw tires in the water.

"My first thought was, 'Oh, my God, where's the guy in this lane? Is he underneath the car?" he said. "I look over at the other side of the pool and he's safe. He's fine."

He said the two of them teamed up to pull the driver out of the car.

"As soon as we open the back door, all the water comes flooding in," he said. "We've got to get him out as quick as we can."

The man was disoriented and seemed to be in shock, Schlenk said, but was unhurt.

"The guy was, like, ‘I need to get my phone,'" he said. "And (we said), 'We need to get you out first.'"

Tow truck drivers had to dive into the pool to hook up their equipment in order to get the vehicle out of the water.

Schlenk said he knows the incident could have ended much differently.

"Definitely very thankful I wasn't—I didn't choose the wrong lane today," he said.

Seattle police said the driver did not appear to be impaired and was not facing charges.

More news from KIRO 7

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP 

Cox Media Group