SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Two people are in fair condition and one person is in critical condition after a major crash on Sutter and Sansome Streets in San Francisco on Tuesday afternoon, firefighters tweeted.

A 66-year-old man and a 59-year-old man were both in fair condition. A 40-year-old man is in critical condition.

The 59-year-old man has been discharged from the hospital, San Francisco General Hospital spokesman Brent Andrew said.

Firefighters said a car hit the pedestrians and their injuries are life-threatening, firefighters said.

The incident happened at around 3:15 p.m., fire spokesman Jonathan Baxter said.

For an unknown reason, the cab went onto the sidewalk, crashed into a newsstand and struck two pedestrians, Baxter said.

“I had just come out of the building over here, and was gonna cross the street and heard what sounded like an explosion,” witness Tom Booher said. “I looked up and there were pieces of stuff flying everywhere right where the shoeshine guy’s stand used to be and the restroom that was over there. I mean, there was no skidding, it didn’t sound like there was any brakes, it was just — it did sound like an explosion.”

The cab driver, as well as the pedestrians, were taken to a hospital with critical injuries. Two working at the shoeshine place were injured.

A shoeshine stands and at least one vendor’s tent was knocked down.

Pictures tweeted by firefighters show a taxi wrecked in the middle of the sidewalk near a BART station.

Sansome and Sutter streets have both been closed in the area as authorities investigate the crash. Additionally, Market Street between Battery and Montgomery streets is closed in the westbound direction, according to Baxter.

Drivers are being asked to avoid the area.

Yellow Cab spokesman Bob Cassinelli has issued a statement to KRON about the crash.

“At this time our thoughts are with the injured people,” he said.

Cassinelli says he does not have an update on the taxi driver’s condition at this time.

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