A nationally-known DJ was in critical condition Thursday following a bizarre accident. In Portland for a special event, the 40-year-old victim was in bed when a black-and-white cab crashed through the wall of his first-floor hotel room. The cab came to rest on top of the man, pinning him against the back wall of the room. Responders said the accident occurred just before 11 a.mn.
The officer who took the call said the 9-1-1 dispatcher had warned him that the scene could be grim, and apparently the dispatcher was correct. When the officer arrived, he said, he saw a woman lying in the parking lot, covered with a comforter. The cab was on top of the victim with the back wheels stuck on what remained of the outside wall.
Three maintenance workers and the officer lifted the back of the car off the wall. From there, one of the workers was able to back the car out of the room and off the victim. Witnesses said the whole thing took less than a minute.
When paramedics reached the victim, he was semi-conscious and could move his hands and legs a little. The emergency team said the victim was able to talk, as well.
Officials believe the cab driver suffered a diabetes-related medical emergency before she accelerated into the hotel. When she was tested at the hotel, her blood sugar was low. Emergency personnel transported the driver, 52, to a nearby hospital, where she was treated and released.
There was no one else in the cab.
Portland police have not completed the investigation. No one was aware of any citations issued in relation to the crash.
The victim’s stepbrother told reporters he is devastated by the accident. “It sounds like a one in a trillion event,” he said, adding, “It’s just unbelievable.”
Source: The Oregonian, “New York D.J. Jon Toubin in critical condition after being run over by a cab in Portland hotel room,” Maxine Bernstein, Dec. 08, 2011
