Four fatalities and about 40 injuries have been reported in the collision late Thursday morning of a charter bus and a Ride the Ducks vehicle on the Aurora Bridge in downtown Seattle.
The four killed and many of those injured were students in North Seattle College’s International Program who were traveling to Safeco Field as part of new-student orientation, according to media reports and the college.
Bloodworks Northwest early Thursday afternoon issued an urgent appeal to blood donors because of the major demands being placed on the region’s blood supply to treat the injured.
Appointments can be made online at schedule.bloodworksnw.org or by calling 1-800-398-7888. Walk-ins are welcome too. There are 12 donation centers, including one in Tukwila, 130 Andover Park E.
There is a special need for O-positive and O-negative blood types, according to Bloodworks Northwest.
Seventeen patients had been taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle by 2:45 p.m., eight of whom were in critical condition, eight in serious condition and in satisfactory condition, according Susan Gregg, a spokeswoman for Harborview. Their ages ranged from a 17-year-old girl to a 61-year-old man.
About 30 less-seriously injured patients were sent to UW Medical Center, Northwest Hospital and Medical Center in north Seattle, Swedish Hospital, Virginia Mason and Group Health. Harborview is the state’s only Level 1 trauma center.
Family members who think a loved one is at Harborview can call 206-520-5200.
Officials reported early afternoon that the Aurora Bridge, which carries Highway 99, likely will be closed for hours.
Information on its re-opening will be available through local media or at the state Department of Transportation website. The crash occurred about 11:15 a.m.
Drivers should avoid the area and use alternate routes and expect significant congestion on all alternate north-south routes through the afternoon commute, according to transportation officials.
