8-Vehicle Providence Crash: 2 Seriously Hurt

PROVIDENCE, RI — Eight vehicles were damaged and several people were injured in a chain-reaction crash on Elmwood Avenue Sunday afternoon, closing the street for several hours. Two drivers were seriously injured and two others sustained minor injuries. The road was reopened by just before 4:30 p.m.

According to Providence police, the first crash happened around 2 p.m. in the southbound lane between a red Acura and a gray BMW near the intersection with Longfellow Street. The impact of the crash pushed the Acura to the right, causing it to spin into the back of a white Toyota van that was parked against the curb on the southbound side of the street. From there, the van was pushed forward, rear-ending another parked vehicle, a blue Subaru, directly in front of it.

After hitting the van, the Acura kept sliding, hitting the building at 801 Elmwood Ave.

During the initial crash, the gray BMW was pushed in the opposite direction and up onto the center median, which launched the vehicle into the air before crashing into yet another vehicle, hitting a white Nissan head-on. The Nissan rolled over, hitting three vehicles that were parked on the northbound side of the street.

The drivers of the Acura and the BMW were both seriously injured during the crash and were taken to Rhode Island Hospital. The driver and a passenger in the Nissan were also taken to the hospital with what police said were minor injuries.

Elmwood Avenue was closed for several hours as crews worked to clear the scene, and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation reported that it was reopened just before 4:30 p.m.

The cause of the initial crash is still under investigation by Providence police.