Car dangles above walkway after veering off ninth floor of car park

Driver manages to escape thanks to a 'tiny little ledge'

A car was left dangling from the ninth floor of a car park after a man reportedly lost control of the vehicle while parking.

Video footage shows a silver Toyota 4Runner suspended above a walkway in Austin, Texas, as bemused passers-by question what happened.

The incident took place after the driver, 24, attempted to park at a slow speed but lost control of the vehicle, according to reports.

The car is said to have travelled through the wire guides and flipped over the end.

It was prevented from falling to the ground because one of the wires wrapped around one of its wheels, leaving the vehicle suspended in mid-air.

Zachary Cayson, who was in the car park when it happened, helped the driver climb to safety.

Mr Cayson told TWC News: “I sprinted up the stairwell and I was the first one to get there.

“I introduced myself and we had a quick little chat about what we should do, whether we should stay there and wait for the police and the fire department or we should try to get him out of there.

“We unbuckled the seat belt, and I took one arm and then he kind of swung his legs over to the side and there was a tiny little ledge there right on the other side of the barrier.

“He managed to plant his feet on that and I picked him up.”

When asked how the incident occurred, Mr Cayson said: “I think [the driver] thought it was in reverse and he put it in drive. I don't really know, we were just glad to get him out of there.

“I've sent him a Facebook request. The cops insisted we take a picture together - they said we'd be laughing about it in a week.”

After the driver had escaped to safety, firefighters from Austin Fire Department managed to lower the vehicle safely to the ground.

Carl Schmidt, who was on the street below, told the news outlet: "Car, metal and glass started falling down from the sky so I slammed on my brakes and I heard the guy in the car screaming for his life."

Gregory Alford, who was in the car park after the incident happened, tweeted a photo and a video of the dangling car, along with the words: "The kid dodged death today."

Following the operation the department tweeted: "Now here's a call we don't make every day! #dontlookup", before joking: "So who do you call when your car goes through the wire barrier and goes over the edge of the 9th floor of a car park?"

The identity of the driver remains unknown.