The wrong way vehicle hits the sheriff’s troopers as they run
Authorities say 25 Los Angeles County sheriff’s academy recruits on a training run were hit by a vehicle that swerved onto the wrong side of the road Wednesday morning, leaving five seriously injured. (November 16)
AP
WHITTIER, Calif. – Five people were seriously injured after a “wrong way” driver in an SUV hit 25 Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and Police recruits who were on a training run Wednesday in morning, authorities said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said recruits assigned to its STAR Explore Training Academy were attacked in Whittier, about 15 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, around 6:30 a.m. P.T. The Los Angeles County Fire Department said it was responding to a “mass casualty event.”
“They were running, doing their morning exercise when this person bumped into them,” Los Angeles County Fire Department spokeswoman Capt. Sheila Kelliher said at a news conference.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in an update that five people were in critical condition, including one on a ventilator. Four people suffered moderate injuries and 16 of the recruits had minor injuries. All the injured recruits were taken to nearby hospitals. Some of the more serious injuries included head trauma, broken bones and loss of limbs, he added.
“We’re just dealing with some life-altering injuries for some of the more seriously injured recruits,” Villanueva said. “This is very, very strange, to say the least. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.
“It looked like a plane crash. There were so many bodies scattered everywhere in various states of injury that it was quite traumatic for everyone involved,” he added.
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The class had about 75 people, with recruits for the Bell, Glendale, Pasadena, El Segundo and UCLA police departments, Villanueva added. Two of the wounded recruits were from Bell, two from Glendale and one from Pasadena. The rest of the injured were Los Angeles County Sheriff’s troopers.
Deputies received help from a nearby county fire station, but also immediately transported some of the more seriously injured directly to hospitals, possibly saving their lives, county Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said.
The driver, identified as a 22-year-old Diamond Bar man, suffered minor injuries and was also taken to a local hospital. Authorities said the driver was taken into custody “pending further investigation.”
Whittier resident Jennifer Garcia Tarara, 49, who lives near the crash site, walked to the area after being notified by a friend. Hours after the accident, Tarara remained in disbelief.
“It’s very sad,” Tarara told USA TODAY, adding that it was common to see recruits exercising on the road near Howard J. McKibben Elementary School where the crashed SUV ended up. “The recruits who were preparing to put their lives on the line for us and something like this happens, it hits close to home.”
Anthony Mendoza, who also lives nearby, told the Southern California News Group that the sound of the crash woke him up and that crashes are common on the road where the collusion took place.
“A lot happens here,” Mendoza told the press. “At school, the speed limit is 25 miles an hour. But cars go 60 to 80 miles an hour down the street. That’s the way it is. I don’t understand it.”
Villanueva said the driver was not intoxicated according to the results of a field sobriety test and the cause of the crash is unknown. The vehicle was in a southbound lane before crossing into a northbound lane, and some troopers told responding authorities they estimated the vehicle was going 30 to 40 miles per hour.
Captain Pat MacDonald, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s training office, said two black-and-white radio cars served as backup vehicles for the group and eight highway patrolmen were present who they wore reflective vests. Villanueva said some people hit were at the back of the formation and had “no chance” of avoiding injury before the vehicle hit a light pole.
“Thank God for that light pole, because the vehicle finally hit it and stopped instead of possibly hitting more recruits,” McDonald said.
“Our hearts go out to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies injured this morning while training to serve their communities,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “Jennifer and I send our best wishes for her recovery and are with her loved ones and colleagues at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department during this difficult time.”
The California Highway Patrol is leading the crash investigation, Villanueva confirmed. Deputy Chief Charlie Sampson of the California Highway Patrol said officials were looking into all possibilities, from an intentional act to impaired driving.
Contributor: Associated Press
Follow Jordan Mendoza on Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.