
Several people were injured after this weekend's Comedy Central rally on the National Mall when the escalator at L'Enfant Plaza unexpectedly sped up and threw people to the ground.
Metro says the brakes on the escalator failed. One was leaking oil and another had worn pads. Once that happened, Metro says, the sheer force of gravity caused the escalator to go into a free-fall for a full 18 seconds.
Metro's ridership on Oct. 30, the day of the rally, was its highest ever for a Saturday.

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