Car crashes into COVID-19 triage tent at SVMH

SALINAS, Calif. (KION)

A car crashed into a COVID-19 triage tent outside Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, Tuesday night. The crash is being described as an accident involving an elderly driver.

Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System spokesperson Karina Rusk says two employees were involved, but there are no major injuries.

Rusk also says that there is no immediate threat of COVID-19 exposure from the crash.

KION is told shortly before six, an elderly man was picking up his wife and was parked across from the tent.

When he went to exit, his car was in reverse and drove into the tent. The couple is not injured, according to the initial report, Rusk says.

According to Salinas Police, the man was leaving a parking stall when he hit a vehicle. He then accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes, reversing into a hospital employee. That employee has minor injuries, according to SPD. The car then continued into the tent where another employee avoided contact.

Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital Emergency Services Director Jeremy Hadland says he was on his way out of work when he got a call from an employee informing him about the accident.

Hadland says the worker who was hit directly is a nurse.

"That triage nurse who was hit by the car directly, significant enough to shatter the back window of that car," says Hadland.

Hadland says a registration clerk inside the tent was not hit directly, but was displaced after being hit by flying debris from the vehicle.

Police say the 75-year old's drivers license was taken.

The tent is next to the Emergency Room entrance.

Rusk says the hospital is also suspending their drive-thru COVID-19 testing, due to the crash.

This is a developing story.