Several injuries after box truck crashes in Boston Chinatown

A box truck crashed into a building in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood and hit several pedestrians before flipping onto its side, city officials said.

The driver and five others were injured in what authorities said appears to have been an accident.

Police said four people were hospitalized after the incident. The driver and one pedestrian were in critical condition early on, but several hours later the driver's condition had improved. Two others declined medical treatment at the scene.

Police and others noted that the outcome could have been far worse given the location.

"This is such a busy part of the city, right on the middle of the day, people going back and forth on their way to get lunch and support our small businesses," authorities said. "And so it's quite shocking to see the scene as it stands right now."

The Boston Fire Department said the Penske truck struck multiple poles and was wedged between a pole and the building. Firefighters extracted the trapped driver from the cab of truck.

The crash initially raised fears of terrorism, coming four months after a man inspired by the terrorist group Islamic State killed 14 people by driving a truck through crowds on historic Bourbon Street.

Associated Press