Car Drives Into Crowd At L.A.’s Venice Boardwalk, Leaving One Dead
A suspect was arrested he allegedly drove his car into a crowd on Los Angeles’ famed Venice Boardwalk. The incident killed one person and injured 11 more, one critically.
Multiple witnesses reported the driver of a dark-colored Dodge Avenger appeared purposeful and in control of his vehicle when he plowed into several beachgoers along the boardwalk Saturday evening.
After causing the injuries, the driver fled the scene on foot, reports The Associated Press. However, a tweet sent out by CBS Los Angeles confirmed later on that the suspect had been arrested.
Ten of the 12 injured in the hit-and-run were taken to hospitals, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. At the time, two were listed in critical and two more in serious condition. CBS Los Angeles later reported that one of the victims had died.
Los Angeles Police Lieutenant Andy Neiman stated that it would “raise the stakes a bit” if the driver intentionally caused the mayhem. But according to several witnesses, that’s exactly what happened.
One witness recalled seeing people screaming and running from the car’s approach, notes USA Today. When jogger Daniel Regidor came upon the aftermath, he recalled seeing a “bunch of people on the ground, bloodied.” Regidor added, “Some looked pretty mangled, head injuries, just a lot of blood.”
Another witness, 22-year-old Alex Hagan, was working at the Cadillac Hotel when he spotted the man sitting in his parked car right by the boardwalk. He recalled seeing the vehicle’s engine start and watching as it accelerated onto the Venice Boardwalk and began running people over.
The vehicle knocked over two mannequins before running into vendors selling things at their booths. The Venice Boardwalk is a 1.5-mile stretch of pavement that runs just a few hundred yards from the Pacific Ocean.
Police are expected to speak with the driver of the vehicle to gain more information about the hit-and-run at the boardwalk Saturday evening.
