A chaotic scene unfolded outside the Vermont Hollywood music venue when an allegedly intoxicated driver rammed through a taco stand, valet podium, and a waiting crowd, leaving multiple victims injured and leading to the driver being shot by a bystander.
Los Angeles [US], July 20: At least 30 people were injured, including seven critically, when a vehicle rammed into a crowd waiting outside a nightclub in East Hollywood early Saturday (local time), according to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD), CNN reported.
Arriving firefighters discovered that a vehicle had plowed through a large group of people gathered in front of the Vermont Hollywood music venue.
“They drove through a taco stand, through the valet podium, and then through the crowd of people that were waiting to go inside,” Captain Adam VanGerpen, public information officer for the LAFD, told CNN.
“It was a very chaotic scene,” VanGerpen added.
Driver Assaulted and Shot by Bystanders
After the car came to a halt, bystanders pulled the driver out of the vehicle and physically assaulted him. During the altercation, one of the bystanders shot the driver, said Jeff Lee, public information officer with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).
Authorities suspect the driver was intoxicated at the time of the incident, a law enforcement official briefed on the matter told CNN. The official added that there is no evidence suggesting any criminal intent beyond impairment, nor any connection to terrorism.
Injury Details and Victim Status
The LAFD reported that seven victims were transported in critical condition, six in serious condition, and 10 in fair condition. Seven patients declined transport after being evaluated at the scene.
The victims, according to LAPD Commander Lillian Carranza, included 18 women and 12 men, all in their mid-20s to early 30s.
Los Angeles police were initially dispatched after reports of an assault with a deadly weapon and found that a vehicle had driven into the crowd “for reasons unknown,” with the driver already being assaulted by bystanders.
Medical Response and Investigation
Once first responders reached the driver, they provided immediate medical treatment and discovered he had suffered a gunshot wound.
Patients with broken bones and soft tissue injuries were taken to trauma centers and nearby hospitals, VanGerpen said, noting that one victim also had a gunshot wound.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident, including the circumstances surrounding the driver’s actions and the shooting that followed.