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Local hospitals deal with influx of train crash injuries

Staff Report //February 5, 2018//

Local hospitals deal with influx of train crash injuries

Staff Report //February 5, 2018//

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Local hospitals admitted several patients and treated and released dozens of others after Sunday morning’s Amtrak train accident near Cayce.

Palmetto Health hospitals admitted six patients, including one in critical condition, on Sunday, the hospital system said in a news release. Lexington Medical Center admitted two patients from the crash, which killed the train engineer and conductor and injured more than 100 people.

Palmetto Health received 62 patients, including three children. Palmetto Health Richland admitted four of the 48 patients it received, with one in critical condition, two in serious condition and one in fair condition. Palmetto Health Baptist Parkridge received 10 patients and admitted one in fair condition, while Palmetto Health Baptist received four and admitted one in fair condition.

On Thursday, Palmetto Health said one patient remained hospitalized in fair condition. 

Lexington Medical Center received 27 patients, mostly with minor injuries, and admitted two, spokeswoman Jennifer Wilson said in an email.

The crash between the Amtrak train and a CSX freight train occurred near Charleston Highway and Pine Ridge Road around 2:35 a.m. Sunday. Train engineer Michael Kempf, 54, from Savannah, Ga., and Michael Cella, 36, from Orange Park, Fla., were killed.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the passenger train was mistakenly diverted into a side track by a manually set rail switch, where it crashed into an unmanned freight train. 

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