Boston truck crash: Rental vehicle mounts sidewalk and takes out multiple pedestrians

At least six people have been injured after a lorry drove onto a pavement and crashed into a building in

Four people were rushed to the and one is in critical condition, according to local reports. Emergency services raced to the scene where pedestrians were left lying on the street in Chinatown. "It was a bad accident, and hopefully those two people make it," reportedly said Boston Deputy Fire Chief Steven Shaffer.

Boston Police Chief Michael Fox said that the early indications are that it appears to be a "tragic accident". He told a press conference: "(Police found) a box truck was turned over on its side as well as multiple people who were struck by the vehicle.

"EMS responded to the scene and transported four individuals to area , right now at least one is in a critical condition and the other three are at least stable. There were two other folks impacted by the accident in some way but they refused medical attention. Currently our preliminary investigation appears to indicate that this seems to be more of a tragic accident than anything else, however it is still under investigation."

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In a statement the also said the lorry struck multiple poles along the street before becoming wedged against a building. The trapped driver of the vehicle had to be extricated by fire crews using specialist equipment. “The technical team, if you see the cab there, they actually had to cut the top of the cab and peel it back to get the driver out," added Fire Chief Shaffer.

A rental box lorry was seen turned on its side at the scene of the crash, surrounded by broken glass and terrified onlookers. It had crashed into a building, in the area of Kneeland Street and Harrison Avenue, not far from Downtown Crossing, injuring several people at around 12.45pm this afternoon.

Homicide detectives are investigating the incident, which has prompted a heavy police presence in the area. Photos are being taken by officers from the scene and witnesses are being interviewed. Boston ambulance service said four people were taken to area with injuries.

Two other people were treated at the scene but declined to be taken to the hospital. Following the crash, the driver was trapped in the cab of the truck and needed to be removed by firefighters using extrication tools, according to the Boston Fire Department.

A spokesperson for the fire department said: "Companies responded to Kneeland & Harrison Ave for a truck that struck multiple poles and was wedged between a pole and the building . Firefighters used extrication tools to removed the trapped driver from the cab of truck."

Boston Police Department told of a crash "with injuries" and said that Kneeland Street between Washington Street and Tyler Street has been closed due to incident. It added: "Please seek an alternative route." A witness told he saw the Penske box truck “jumping” and “twisting” before it came to a stop up against a commercial building.

He said he tried to help the driver out of the truck’s cab, but he was pinned inside. Another woman told how she saw the "truck boom and flip over and I saw pedestrians on the ground, that’s it," and she added: "It was very loud like a bomb noise, it was scary."

An aerial photograph shows a Penske truck overturned on the pavement with several firefighters beside it. Penske is an American company which provides truck rentals for moving home. Another image shows the truck overturned outside Great Wall Kitchen Supplies store and Jiro's Sushi, surrounded by debris strewn across the street.

A statement from Penske Transportation Solutions on the incident reportedly read: “We are aware of the incident that occurred in Boston. This is an ongoing situation that we’re monitoring closely. Penske will be cooperating fully with authorities to support their investigation.

"Our thoughts are with those who have been injured in this unfortunate incident. Based on our records, the truck involved was out on rent to a commercial trucking company. We have no other information at this time."