At least 30 people were injured early Saturday morning when a vehicle plowed through a crowd outside a nightclub in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Seven of the victims were transported in critical condition, with others suffering serious to moderate injuries. The crash occurred around 2 a.m. local time outside The Vermont Hollywood, a venue that was hosting a reggae and hip-hop event.
Captain Adam VanGerpen, public information officer for the Los Angeles City Fire Department, stated, "They drove through a taco stand, through the valet podium, and then through the crowd of people that were waiting to go inside." He added, "It was a very chaotic scene."
Fire officials confirmed that 124 personnel were deployed to the scene, where victims were triaged and sent to local trauma centers. According to VanGerpen, one of the patients was discovered to have a gunshot wound during a secondary assessment by paramedics. "One of our paramedics ... when they started doing their secondary assessment of the patient, they identified a gunshot," he said, noting it remains unclear whether the gunshot victim was the driver or another individual involved.
The vehicle, identified as a Nissan Versa, struck a line of people waiting to enter the club, most of whom were women, and also collided with a taco cart and valet stand. Eyewitness video showed victims being treated on the street and sidewalks, with several taken away on stretchers as authorities secured the area.
Francisco Mendez, who arrived shortly after the incident, told the Associated Press that his sister-in-law and her husband were injured while working at a hot dog stand outside the venue. "They were both hit and are now hospitalized," Mendez said.
