Nine Seconds, One Arm: DC Elevator Safety in Crisis

A security video from the Dorchester House in Northwest DC shows a nine-second sequence where a wheelchair user is dragged and loses her arm when an elevator door closes on her and her dog's leash. Tenants had long warned about unsafe elevators, but complaints were often dismissed. The building’s management faces a civil lawsuit and criticism from residents, while the DC Department of Buildings says inspections were current and no mechanical malfunction was found, even as a modernization project is planned. The incident underscores ongoing concerns about elevator safety and regulatory oversight in the city.