7, including small child, hospitalized after crash

PANAMA CITY — Seven people, including a small child who was ejected from an SUV, were hospitalized Tuesday evening after a two-car crash.

The crash happened at the intersection of U.S. 231 and East Avenue when a white Nissan coupe with three people inside collided with a silver Toyota SUV with four people inside. Everyone in each car was taken to the hospital, said Sgt. Melanie Law with the Panama City Police Department’s traffic unit.

A pair of pink Chuck Taylor-style Converse baby shoes and a purple stuffed animal were mingled with broken glass and auto parts in a field of debris from the accident. Two other styles of adult-sized shoes also were scattered about.

“The child is being treated,” Law said. “She regained consciousness, and it’s unclear exactly what her status was … she was alive.”

Air bags in both vehicles deployed and showed blood stains. Law did not know the severity of the injuries, but at least two people were either fully or partially ejected from the SUV, which went airborne as a result of the crash and came to rest on its side, “kind of” pinning the partially ejected adult beneath it.

“I know you want a better answer than that, but the answer is kind of,” Law said.

The Nissan was driving northbound on U.S. 231 through the intersection as the Toyota was attempting to turn from the southbound lanes of U.S. 231 and continue southbound on East Avenue, Law said. Investigators believe both vehicles were attempting to cross the intersection against a yellow light, Law said.

A bystander said he and two other men lifted the vehicle off of a man who was injured but talking. Otherwise the twisted wreckage of the two vehicles remained as they were while investigators collected and documented evidence at the scene. Law described it as the “preliminary stage” of a traffic homicide investigation.

Traffic on East Avenue south of the crash was rerouted to Game Farm Road, and one northbound lane of U.S. 231 was closed to traffic to protect the integrity of the evidence.

“All of our physical evidence is in the northbound lanes of East Avenue, so we just can’t let anyone through there,” Law said.

The identities of the people involved in the crash had not been released as of 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.