It’ll take more than a rag to buff that out: One of the damaged cars at the car wash crack-up. (Tomas E. Gaston)
It wasn’t a clean gettaway.
A clumsy Bronx car wash worker tried to bolt after accidentally smashing a customer’s spanking new Jeep into a light pole — setting off a bumper-cars-style fender-bender, witnesses said.
Aldaberto Jose Sanchez, an attendant at Handwash Inc. in Tremont, got inside a customer’s 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee at around 3:40 pm after the vehicle came through the wash’s automatic drive-through, according to people at the scene.
Sanchez, 45, then tried to return the SUV to the parking lot — but lost control and hit a black Honda, which nicked another car on East 176th Street. That’s when Sanchez smashed into a light pole near Webster Avenue, witnesses said.
The freewheeling worker jumped out of the car and sprinted away from the scene, witnesses said.
The crash mangled the hood of the car, causing roughly $8,000 in damages, sources said. One person was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital with minor injuries, according to fire officials.
The Jeep owner watched in disbelief as his brand new ride went sailing toward the busy intersection.
“I watched the car go into the pole in slow motion,” said Bronx resident Jose Perez, 47. “I can’t believe he could run off like that.”
The manager of Handwash Inc. was stunned to see his employee of four years flee the accident.
“I don’t know why he would run,” the manager said. “He will come back Wednesday for his check.”