At least one person died and five others were injured after a vehicle crashed into a medical center emergency room in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday evening, media reports said.
One person in the car was extricated from the crash, which occurred around 5:30 pm outside the Austin Medical Centre in St David’s, and was given CPR, but died at the scene, according to Thayer Smith of the Austin Fire Department, as quoted by CNN.
Four victims, which included a child, were transported to another hospital in critical condition.
One patient was admitted to St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, where the crash occurred in the ER lobby, Chief Medical Officer Peter DeYoung told CNN.
Eight patients who were at the hospital and not injured in the vehicle crash were also being transferred to other hospitals, DeYoung said.
Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services posted on Facebook: “FINAL (As per media brief that concluded at 20:20) The incident originated at 17:38 for reports of a vehicle into the ER at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center. 6 total patients from that incident were ultimately identified. 1 deceased on-scene, 4 transported by #ATCEMS, & 1 treated in the emergency department onsite. Of the patients transported by ATCEMS 1 pediatric patient was transported to Dell Children’s with critical injuries, 1 adult & 1 pediatric with non-life-threatening injuries to Dell Children’s, & 1 adult to St. David’s Round Rock with serious potentially life-threatening injuries.”
Stephen Hughes, who was present in the hospital when the mishap occurred, told CNN: ” At first I thought it was an explosion.”
“Then I heard screaming and saw the smoke coming from the ER entrance,” he said.
