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AUSTIN, Texas — Eleven people were injured in a "major collision" Friday night in Austin, Texas, involving pedestrians and two vehicles, one of which hit a food truck, authorities said.
Ten of those injured are employees of Salt Lake City-based company Sorenson Communications. Twenty-five Sorenson employees were in Austin preparing to attend a DeafNation Expo and were gathered near a food truck when the crash occurred, according to company spokeswoman Ann Bardsley, who added that the employees are from various parts of the country.
Several employees gathered near the food truck were struck when two vehicles collided at a nearby intersection, sending one of the vehicles into the group. Ten employees were transported to the hospital, Bardsley said.
The collision occurred in a popular area near downtown Austin where there are frequently several food carts stationed.
Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services tweeted that two of the victims sustained potential life-threatening injuries. Seven others sustained non-life-threatening injuries requiring medical evaluation. The other two didn't require hospitalization.
Jennifer Dunn, an employee at a nearby restaurant, told the Associated Press that a group of 25 people had just left to get ice cream at a food truck a few feet away when patrons inside the restaurant heard a loud boom.
Dunn said several members of the group then ran back inside injured and asking for help. Dunn said she and others ran to the scene where several people, including the drivers, appeared severely hurt.
"We work in the restaurant industry, so we are used to helping," Dunn said. "I have been doing this for a long (time), so have the servers and we just wanted to help."
Sorenson, a communication device company for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, dispatched sign language interpreters to the scene and hospitals to aid in communication. Further resources were provided by the company to its deaf employees who were hospitalized, according to Bardsley.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragic event. Our hearts are with those in the Sorenson family who sustained injuries and with those impacted by the event," said Sorenson CEO Jorge Rodriguez in a statement. "We continue to support them on their road to recovery and healing."
Rodriguez plans to fly to Austin to visit injured employees and meet with those who provided on-the-ground support, according to Bardsley.
Contributing: Acacia Coronado, AP; Ashley Fredde, KSL.com
