quote replacement json -> lua (escaped double quotes turn into naked single quotes)

This line functions fine when executed from vehicle lua on the console:

Code:

obj:queueGameEngineLua('print(scenetree.findObject(\"scenario_player0\"):getID())')

But if I insert it into a "command" in a scenario JSON the escaped double quotes are replaced with single quotes, as evidenced by this error on the console:

Code:

67.20530|E|libbeamng.lua.V|*** FATAL LUA ERROR: [string "string"]:1: ')' expected near 'scenario_player0'
67.20532|E|libbeamng.lua.V|*** while executing this line: obj:queueGameEngineLua('print(scenetree.findObject('scenario_player0'):getID())')
67.20533|E|libbeamng.lua.V|*** in chunk: string

Maybe I'm doing something the wrong way, but I can't see why escaped double quotes would ever evaluate to single quotes.

EDIT: Attaching demo scenario based on DarthBob555's demo scenario from over here. "The Gauntlet - SBR Edition (derby)"

 

What he's meaning in the OP is, when that is put into JSON, it replaces escaped quotes.