On Tuesday, a tragic incident occurred in Austin, Texas, as a car crashed into St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, resulting in the death of the driver and injuries to five others, including two children. Contrary to the initial report of 10 injuries, officials later clarified that the total was lower.
Emergency and hospital officials provided an update during an evening news conference, indicating that one child and one adult were in critical condition among the injured survivors.
Despite efforts to revive the sedan’s driver, who had crashed into the emergency room area, the individual succumbed to their injuries.
Dr. Peter DeYoung, the chief medical officer of the facility, shared that the injured survivors were in the lobby of the emergency room section.
Emergency room doctors promptly responded, providing care to the driver and others affected by the crash. Dr. DeYoung referred to the events of Tuesday as a “tragedy.”
The two injured children and one adult were transported to Dell Children’s Medical Center, according to a statement from Austin-Travis County EMS. The crash ruptured a fish tank, causing water to cover part of the facility’s floor.
While Austin police noted that a preliminary investigation did not reveal malicious intent on the part of the driver, they emphasized that the matter was still under investigation.
The department posted on social networking platform X, saying, “This incident does not appear to be an intentional act.”
Vehicular homicide detectives were assigned to the case by the police, according to Christa Stedman, captain of Austin-Travis County EMS.
The collision led the hospital to temporarily shut down its Emergency Room for patients arriving by ambulance, as mentioned by De Young. Up to eight patients already present at the facility were being relocated to other medical centers while the hospital determines when to resume ambulance traffic, he explained.
This hospital is one of the 16 in the Austin region providing basic trauma care, according to a Texas nonprofit monitoring medical services.
De Young noted that the physical structure of the facility remained largely intact.
Austin-Travis County EMS classified it as a Level 4 mass casualty incident, indicating the potential need for external resources. Level 5 is the highest and most urgent category.
In response to the incident, a hazardous-materials team was dispatched to the scene, as reported by the Austin Fire Department on the social media platform X. Although it wasn’t clear what specific event triggered the hazmat response, hospitals are typically locations where various hazardous materials are present.
