AUSTIN, Texas — The driver involved in a deadly crash at St. David's North Austin Medical Center in February had a blood-alcohol level over three times the legal limit.
According to an autopsy obtained by KVUE on Tuesday, 57-year-old Michelle Holloway had high levels of alcohol in her blood when she crashed through the front of the hospital. Toxicology results showed between 0.25% and 0.30% of ethanol in her system. The manner of her death was ruled "accidental."
Three adults and two children who were in the waiting room at the time of the crash were injured and taken to different hospitals for treatment.
The Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed Holloway was an employee with the department's Driver License Division.
Michelle Cruz, who was in the waiting room a half-hour before the car crashed through the doors, told KVUE she heard the sound of a roaring rumble to a loud crash and screaming.
"It was such an intense experience, and it'll take a while to get the sounds of everyone's screams off of my head, just because it was so loud," Cruz told KVUE in February. "Seeing the change in people's emotions, and then part of my brain goes to like, you know, 'Are they going to be OK?' And what's happening to them afterwards? It created … This immediate panic."
Austin police believe the incident was an accident, with Holloway driving into the ER. There are no indications the crash was an intentional act, police said.
Last month, two people who were in the building at the time of the crash sued St. David's Healthcare and the facility, claiming they and their children were severely injured in the crash. According to the lawsuit, the family claims they were run over by the car that drove through the emergency room.
The lawsuit criticizes the hospital for not having appropriate safety barriers, and the suit calls on the hospital and others to install concrete safety pillars that could stop a vehicle from entering a building. St. David's North Austin has since installed barriers but did not have them installed when the crash occurred.
Councilwoman Mackenzie Kelly of District 6 has said she plans to introduce a resolution to require all new hospitals in Austin to have safety barriers installed outside, although it is unclear as to how many facilities this would impact.
The hospital said it does not comment on pending litigation, but said that the "safety of our patients and their families, as well as our employees and visitors, is always our top priority."