Photo via DDOT

The normally pedestrian-and-car cluttered area outside Union Station is filled with emergency vehicles this morning, and is expected to remain so for several hours, as authorities investigate an incident in which several people were struck in a collision between two cars shortly before 8 a.m.

Six people have been transported to local hospitals, according to Officer Araz Alali, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Department. Two of the pedestrians are in very serious condition, Alali says. A spokesman for D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services says there is no indication as to the severity of the injuries sustained by the others, including two occupants of one vehicle that was involved in the collision and one occupant of the other.

As a result of the ensuing investigation, several blocks of high-traffic Massachusetts Avenue and North Capitol Street are expected to be closed through the morning. All lanes of Massachusetts Avenue are closed between Union Station and New Jersey Avenue NW, while all lanes of North Capitol Street are shut between E and H streets.

The closures are backing up traffic all the way to the intersection of North Capitol and New York Avenue, and Metro is advising passengers of its 90, 92, and X3 buses to prepare for delays of at least 25 minutes. Pedestrians are also being advised to avoid the area around the collision.