An SUV crossed the road and slammed into 25 police recruits who were out jogging this morning in LA County.
At least five are in critical condition after the crash and the local sheriff says that it looks like an accident at this point.
Here’s more from the Associated Press:
An SUV traveling on the wrong side of the road struck 25 Los Angeles County sheriff’s academy recruits on a training run around dawn Wednesday, critically injuring five of them, authorities said.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said the range of the most serious injuries included head trauma, broken bones and “loss of limb.” The trainees included recruits for the Sheriff’s Department and several local police agencies.
The crash investigation is being handled by the California Highway Patrol and “so far, it looks like it’s an accident, a horrific accident,” Villanueva said.
CHP Assistant Chief Charlie Sampson said about 75 recruits were running in formation northbound in the street when the southbound vehicle veered into the opposing lane and struck the victims.
Sampson said all possibilities, ranging from an intentional act to impaired driving, will be investigated.
The driver was only identified as a 22-year-old man from suburban Diamond Bar. The sheriff said a field sobriety test on the driver was negative. County Fire
The crash occurred just before 6:30 a.m. in suburban Whittier, where a training academy is located.
The recruits were running in four columns with two black-and-white radio cars and eight “road guards” wearing reflective vests, said Capt. Patrick Mcdonald, captain of the academy.
Deputies got help from a nearby county fire station, but also immediately transported some of the most badly injured directly to hospitals, possibly saving their lives, said county Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone.
One of the recruits is reported to have told his girlfriend that the man still had his foot on the gas and that he tried to break the windshield to get to the driver:
The girlfriend of one of the injured #LASD recruits says her boyfriend told her …that the driver of the SUV that hit the 22 recruits (who were out jogging) still had his foot on the gas pedal. So the boyfriend tried to break the SUV’s window to get to the driver. @knxnews pic.twitter.com/jh0uP1te1G
— Jon Baird (@KNXBaird) November 16, 2022
Still having their “foot on the gas” sounds bad but I’m sure they’ll investigate every possibility.
I sincerely hope it was an accident because the alternative is dreadful.