At least 30 people were injured — seven critically — after a car rammed into a crowd waiting outside a nightclub in East Hollywood early Saturday, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department, CNN reported.
Emergency responders found the chaotic scene outside the Vermont Hollywood music venue, where a vehicle had driven through a taco stand, a valet podium, and into a large group of people queued to enter the club.
“It was a very chaotic scene,” said Captain Adam VanGerpen, public information officer for the Los Angeles City Fire Department.
Following the crash, bystanders pulled the driver out of the vehicle and began assaulting him. During the confrontation, one of the bystanders reportedly shot the driver, according to LAPD Public Information Officer Jeff Lee.
Police believe the driver may have been intoxicated. However, authorities have ruled out terrorism or any deliberate criminal motive beyond impaired driving.
According to the fire department, seven victims were transported in critical condition, six were in serious condition, and 10 were in fair condition. Another seven people declined transport after being treated on the scene. The victims — 18 women and 12 men — were mostly in their mid-20s to early 30s, LAPD Commander Lillian Carranza stated.
Initially, officers responded to reports of an assault with a deadly weapon and discovered the vehicle had plowed into the crowd “for reasons unknown.” After gaining access to the injured driver, first responders provided medical care and identified a gunshot wound.
Patients with broken bones and soft tissue injuries were taken to trauma centers and nearby hospitals, while the investigation into the incident continues.
