One dead, five injured after vehicle crashes into Texas hospital

WASHINGTON, Feb 14 — At least one person died and five others were injured yesterday evening when a vehicle crashed into a hospital emergency room in the US state of Texas, authorities said.

One child and one adult were seriously injured when the vehicle ploughed into St. David’s North Austin Medical Center in the state’s capital at around 5:30pm local time (23:30 GMT), Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services said in a Facebook post.

US news outlets reported that the driver of the vehicle died at the scene, citing officials.

The Austin Police Department said there was “no threat to the general public” in a post on X.

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“Based off preliminary information and details gathered at this time, this incident does not appear to be an intentional act,” the police said, adding that an investigation was under way.

Stephen Hughes said he was at the hospital waiting for his wife to come out of surgery when he heard a loud bang, according to CNN.

“At first I thought it was an explosion,” Hughes told the broadcaster. “Then I heard screaming and saw the smoke coming from the ER entrance.”

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Four of those injured were transported to other hospitals and one was treated at the emergency department at St. David’s, the county EMS said.

The hospital remained open to walk-in emergency patients but was closed to ambulance transports, it added. — AFP