Girl in critical condition after car crashes into LAX terminal

A 9-year-old girl was in critical condition Monday after the driver of a Porsche accidentally accelerated and struck her before smashing into a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, authorities said.

The girl, whose name was not released, was taken to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in critical condition after Sunday’s accident, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.

Police initially said the girl was 9, then 7. Later Monday, they said the age initially reported is correct.

She suffered major head trauma, said LAPD Det. Garry McQueen. The crash, he said, appears to be just a tragic accident.

The girl was standing on the sidewalk with family and waiting to be picked up shortly before 5 p.m. when the driver, a 67-year-old man, suddenly veered from an outer lane and into a utility closet at the terminal, police said.

“All indications say he probably mistook the gas pedal for the brake,” said LAPD Sgt. Roy Ceja

The driver did not appear to be intoxicated and does not have a known medical condition, Ceja said.

The driver and a male passenger, whose names were not released, were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

Damage to the terminal was mostly confined to the spot where the car entered the utility closet. No air travel was affected by the crash, airport officials said.

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