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A Porsche driver critically injured a 9-year-old girl at an LAX terminal on Sunday after he struck her before plowing into a wall.
LAPD Sgt. Roy Ceja told KTLA that it appears that the 67-year-old driver of the 2015 Porsche Panamera mistook his gas pedal for his brake when he veered from an outer lane and hit the girl before ramming into a utility room in the airport's Terminal 7 around 5 p.m. Three-quarters of the car went through the wall, which now has a gaping hole.
The girl, who has not been identified, was rushed to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where she is in critical condition. She was with her mother and siblings when she was hit by the car, ABC 7 reports. LAFD Chief Armando Hogan told KTLA that the girl may be the daughter of an airline employee.
"It’s safe to say she’s fighting for her life," LAFD spokesperson Brian Humphrey told the L.A. Times.
The driver and his male passenger were later taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Ceja told the Times that the driver did not appear to be under the influence or have a medical condition.
Authorities are investigating the incident. Hogan told CBS Los Angeles that despite the gaping hope, the LAX terminal had minimal damage since the building is structurally sound.
Here are some photos and video of the aftermath of the crash:
LAX: Car smashes into terminal, injuring 3 people; 9-year-old girl in 'serious' condition http://t.co/y5BKArYgp0 pic.twitter.com/dbc0cS0f34
— L.A. Times: L.A. Now (@LANow) June 1, 2015
Damages to the car after the crash (Photo by David Ortiz/LAFD, via Creative Commons)