The State - News from Sept. 22, 1988

A Nigerian student was crushed to death when he was pinned in the doorway of an elevator in the Transamerica building, San Francisco police said. The male student, who worked in the Financial District building, was attempting to pull a mail cart into the elevator when the incident occurred, investigators said. A co-worker was inside holding the doors open when “for no apparent reason” the elevator began moving up, he said. The victim was pinned between the elevator and the roof at the basement level, police said. Fire Department personnel arrived and pried the door open, but the victim was pronounced dead by paramedics. The victim’s name was withheld pending notification of his family.