PITTSBURGH (AP) — Authorities have identified two women struck and killed by a sport utility vehicle that crashed into a building housing a plasma center in Pittsburgh, killing the two and a third person and injuring two others, one critically.
The Allegheny County medical examiner’s office said Sunday that 55-year-old Parveena Abdul of Clairton and 35-year-old Laura Meneskie of Pittsburgh were killed in the 11:30 a.m. crash into the Biomat USA Plasma Building in the Manchester neighborhood.
Both were struck by the vehicle, said the medical examiner’s office, which will determine the cause and manner of death.
A spokesperson for the plasma donation center earlier confirmed that two of its employees were among the three people killed.
“It’s an absolute tragic incident,” said Vlasta Hakes, a spokesperson for Grifols Plasma, which manages Biomat USA, the national network of plasma centers, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We’re still trying to process it and are supporting our teams as much as we can.”
Corporate leaders are headed to Pittsburgh to help manage the situation, Hakes said, adding that “we are working to provide support to their families.” Grief counselors will be made available to workers at the center, which was closed on Sunday, she said.
Pittsburgh Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich said the third person killed was still in the SUV, which was later removed from the building. Two other people were injured, one critically, and two firefighters and a paramedic were treated for smoke inhalation.
Hissrich said there were around 10 employees and five donors inside at the time of the crash, officials said. Authorities were documenting the scene, reviewing video, talking to witnesses and trying to get background on the driver, he said.
