Serious and minor injuries after SUV crashes into ER
By JENNIE McKEON
FORT WALTON BEACH, FL
Two are being hospitalized and a handful of people were injured after a grey SUV crashed into the emergency room at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center on Monday afternoon.
According to a statement from the hospital, one of the patients is in serious, but stable condition and the other was kept overnight for medical observation.
“Our thoughts are with the family of these two patients and we appreciate the prompt assistance provided by local law enforcement during today’s incident,” the statement said.
The crash occurred at 12:41 p.m., according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Outside the hospital, a drop cloth covered the hole in the building, located directly in front of a handicapped parking spot. Red tape made a barricade around the scene while law enforcement investigated.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, which was on scene within an hour of the crash, 84-year-old Van Campbell Foster, of Crestview, was traveling south in the parking lot adjacent to the hospital and attempted to pull into a marked parking space. Foster failed to stop and traveled over the rubber parking space stop block and collided with the exterior of the building.
The vehicle traveled into the interior of the building and struck two people in the waiting area, the press release stated. The vehicle also hit an interior support structure brace and a desk, which was propelled across the waiting area, striking another person.
Capt. Ryan Christen, public information officer of Ocean City-Wright Fire Department, said there were several people with minor injuries, although he didn’t know how many. He said at least one of the seriously injured was a hospital employee.
The driver, he said, was not injured.
Jan Harris was in the emergency room with her son, who was being treated for flu-like symptoms, when the accident occurred.
“We were behind a curtain about to check out when we heard a crash and everybody was screaming,” she said.
Harris said the check-in desk is right by the window that the SUV crashed through. Her family left the ER from the back entrance.
Denise Kendust, spokesperson for the hospital, said patients were moved from the emergency room triage and waiting area to the heart center almost immediately after the accident. Firefighters assisted in moving patients, Christen said.
The building has no structural damage, but the emergency room waiting room has been temporarily closed. No other ER services have been affected, Kendust said.
Harris was grateful they left the emergency room when they did. If the family had checked out just a few seconds sooner, she said they would’ve been walking in the path of the accident.
“We are so thankful,” she said.
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