A man in a motorized wheelchair fatally fell from an escalator he was attempting to use at a Washington D.C. metro station on Wednesday.

The incident happened around 1:30 p.m. at the Columbia Heights Station after the man attempted to exit the station via escalator instead of by elevator, officials say.

“The man waited 10-15 seconds for the elevator which was in service at the time and then diverted to the escalator," Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority spokesman Ron Holzer told USA TODAY in an emailed statement.

"Upon reaching the top of the escalator, the man and wheelchair fell backward, landing at the bottom.”

Oct. 10:Meet the Dog Island holdout and his 'Cat-5' house that stood strong in the face of Hurricane Michael

Oct. 9:Delta passenger dies after flight returns to Detroit for medical emergency

Bystanders and the station's manager attempted to help the man until medics arrived, Holzer said. The man was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

An escalator at the station remained closed on Wednesday evening due to a "Customer Incident," according to the Transit Authority's website.

The man's identify has not been released at this time.

Contributing: WUSA-TV, Washington.