One person is dead and five are injured after a vehicle plowed through an Austin emergency room Tuesday afternoon.
The Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS) and Austin Police Department responded to reports that a car had crashed into the emergency room at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center at around 5:38 p.m. on February 13.
Footage obtained by RAWSALERTS shows the moments of fright inside the building immediately after the collision. The video shows exhaust from the still-running car filling the room as hospital personnel work to move the injured to safety. The mangled wreckage of what appears to be a silver sedan can be seen in the damaged waiting room in a photo taken at the scene.
The driver was pulled from the vehicle and given CPR, but he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. Five others, including two children, were injured in the incident.
“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,” read an update from ATCEMS.
The hospital also transported eight patients who had not been involved in the crash away from the scene to “alleviate some of the strain on the hospital.” The identity of the driver and the current condition of those injured are currently unknown.
Austin PD vehicular homicide units would later arrive and begin an investigation into the crash. Although no cause has been identified, preliminary results indicated that the driver had not intentionally crashed into the ER.
The hospital remains open after the crash. The North and West parking entrances remain closed, but the South and East entrances are open. Those coming in for surgery the following morning were advised to enter the hospital through the West hospital doors.
