One dead, five injured after vehicle crashes into ER at Austin hospital: Officials
Written by ABC Audio. All rights reserved. on February 14, 2024
(AUSTIN, Texas) — One person is dead and at least five people were injured after a vehicle crashed into a hospital in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday, authorities said.
A vehicle crashed into the emergency room at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center shortly after 5:30 p.m. local time, Capt. Christa Stedman, a spokesperson for the Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services, said at a news conference Tuesday evening.
The driver of the vehicle was extricated from the car and received CPR, but was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Austin Fire Department Chief Thayer Smith.
Two children and one adult were transported to Dell Children’s Medical Center, according to Chief of Austin-Travis County EMS Robert Luckritz. One child was in critical condition with life-threatening injuries, while the adult and second child had injuries that were non-life-threatening, Luckritz said.
A second adult with potentially life-threatening injuries was transported to St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, according to Luckritz.
Eight other people who were in the ER but not injured in the crash were being transported to different area hospitals so the emergency room could “regroup,” Chief Medical Officer Dr. Peter DeYoung said during Tuesday’s presser.
“This incident does not appear to be an intentional act,” a Facebook post from Austin Police Department said.
Vehicular homicide officers were on the scene to investigate the cause of the crash, officials said.
According to DeYoung, the building appears to be in good condition and none of the hospital’s operations were interrupted. The ER was re-routing ambulances but still accepting walk-in patients.
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