Late-night accident leaves three with serious injuries

[img1]Three people were seriously injured when their car crashed into a tree on Northeast Pacific Street early Saturday morning.

The crash, which took place in front of the Magnuson Health Sciences Center about 1:30 a.m., rendered two of the victims unconscious by the time rescue units arrived, said Debra Brown, public information officer for the Seattle Police Department (SPD).

The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) dispatched 12 units to the scene, including three rescue-extrication units, according to an SFD incident log.

SPD sent a traffic collision investigation squad, a specialty unit called only in the case of severe injuries, Brown said.

Two of the victims were transported to Harborview Medical Center, while the other was treated at the UW Medical Center, Brown said.

The crash blocked off the section of Northeast Pacific Street between 15th Avenue Northeast and Montlake Boulevard Northeast for nearly two hours.

Police have not determined the cause of the accident, Brown said.

"They're looking into whether speed was a factor," she said.

As of 3 a.m. the morning of the accident, all of the victims were alive but in critical condition, reported an officer at the scene. Harborview officials would not release information regarding the status of the victims yesterday.