Fifteen people were injured after a San Francisco cable car came to a sudden stop, sending passengers tumbling inside the car.
The San Francisco Fire Department said it responded to a “cable car incident” at about 3:09 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15, near the 1300 block of California Street between Leavenworth and Hyde.
“Initial report was that the cable car made an abrupt stop causing its passengers to be tossed around inside the cable car,” officials said.
Fire officials added that when crews arrived, they found “numerous patients in need of care” and declared a yellow alert, which notifies hospitals and medical teams that a higher number of patients may be incoming.
According to the department, all 15 people were evaluated on scene. Two were transported to a hospital with “minor visual trauma.” Ten others reported bumps and bruises, while three declined transport.
“Utilizing nine transport ambulances, patients were transported to San Francisco General Hospital, California Pacific Vaness, Saint Francis, Saint Mary’s and Kaiser,” the department said.
The San Francisco Municipal Railway and the San Francisco Police Department Accident Unit are investigating what caused the abrupt stop.
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Speaking to local media outlet The San Francisco Chronicle, one passenger described the moment the car halted while traveling uphill.
“We were just on our way uphill and then it genuinely just like stopped really hard,” Willa Meade, 20, of San Francisco told the outlet. “It just stopped in its tracks like super fast.”
Meade said the sudden jolt sent riders airborne. “Everyone just flew in the air and started screaming,” she recalled, adding that one injured passenger was “bleeding from his neck and head and shouting for help.”
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Following the incident, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency posted an update on X, saying safety remains its “top priority” and that it would conduct a full review of what happened.
The agency also said: “Bus substitutions will serve the route for the rest of the day along with the 1 California line. For service updates, please monitor real-time alerts @SFMTA_Muni.”
