PHOENIX — Three people were taken to the hospital Wednesday afternoon after a car crashed into a dialysis center near 19th and Dunlap avenues.
The Phoenix Fire Department said they arrived on the scene around 1 p.m. to find a vehicle had crashed into a section of the building. Two women and a man were transported to the hospital in critical condition, the fire department said.
Phoenix police said the driver involved in the crash remained on the scene. The investigation into what led up to the crash is ongoing.
The fire department said the injured patients were located near the front of Fresenius Kidney Care when the car made impact.
Footage from the scene shows several people getting taken out in wheelchairs of the damaged building. Witnesses told 12News they were getting dialysis treatment when a car busted through the building and hit three people.
Inside the center, 12News could see shattered glass, equipment smashed together, and medical supplies strewn about.
Fresenius Kidney Care issued the following statement Wednesday evening:
On the afternoon of Wednesday, August 9, a car crashed into our Fresenius Kidney Care North Phoenix dialysis clinic on West Dunlap Avenue, injuring three patients who were receiving dialysis treatment and causing damage to the exterior and interior of the facility. No staff were injured in the incident and our hearts and prayers are with those who were affected.
Clinic staff instantly went into action, helping patients and colleagues. Emergency responders were immediately called to the scene and transported three patients to the hospital.
The safety and security of the patients we serve and our employees is our top priority. The West Dunlap Avenue clinic will remain closed while we assess facility damage in collaboration with local city officials.
We continue our follow up with patients and their families. Our clinic teams are working to arrange interim care at other nearby Fresenius Kidney Care clinics (including our Fresenius Kidney Care Arcadia location at 4021 N. 30th St. in Phoenix) on a temporary basis for patients who regularly dialyze at the West Dunlap Avenue facility.
We have likewise deployed social workers for patients and staff who experienced today’s incident and our clinic staff will continue to be available to assist patients with alternative treatment locations.
We are working with city officials to determine when we can safely reopen the West Dunlap Avenue clinic and will keep our patients and the community informed.
This is a developing story.
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What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?:
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.