A simple car wash should have been straightforward. But for one young Ohio girl by the name of Carlee Crabtree, it went quickly sideways in the most unexpected way. But sometimes, life has a twisted sense of humor, and what should have been a routine chore transformed into a pulse-pounding scenario worthy of a horror movie.
At first, it was just a small nuisance. A bag of trash was blocking the path of the wash bay, and Carlee, per her TikTok, ran in to move it. Her mother, filming nearby, urged her to hurry. In oversized loungewear, she reveals darting around the bay, expecting to clear the obstacle and be on her way. But as she turned back toward the entrance, the door slammed shut behind her. Trapping her inside.
“This is how Final Destination usually starts,” one follower advises.
“This would send me into a panic attack,” another writes.”
“As someone that worked at auto bell and knows story’s of people dying in a car wash that’s terrifyin,” one more shares.
“Omggg my worst fear lol,” a fourth adds.
Suddenly, Carlee was alone with enormous rollers, high-pressure jets, and chemical-laden water designed to clean vehicles, not humans. The environment was unexpectedly threatening. She couldn’t help but imagine herself in a Final Destination-style moment, dodging massive spinning arms while a horror soundtrack played in her head.
Real-Life Incident Freaks Out Ohio Girl
Panicked but thinking fast, she wedged her hand under the massive door and pushed. After tense moments of struggle, the door gave way, and she emerged soaking wet, relieved, and entirely unharmed.
Though Carlee’s story ended safely, incidents like this aren’t unheard of. Automated car washes are powerful machines with moving parts, high-voltage electricity, and strong chemicals. Making them dangerous when a person is in the wrong place at the wrong time. People have been seriously injured, and in rare cases, even killed, when trapped inside.
Carlee shared her experience on social media, where the video quickly racked up millions of views. Viewers alternated between horror and amusement, joking about trusting mothers, imagining Final Destination scenarios, and speculating whether she even finished washing her car.
Despite the initial panic, she can now laugh about the ordeal, and it has become a memorable story she’ll recount for years. It’s a story of quick thinking, adrenaline, and eventually, laughter. Life may throw unexpected twists, but sometimes the scariest moments make the most unforgettable stories.
Sofia Bassett 
Dylan Cook 
