25 injured after vehicle plows into law enforcement recruits on morning run in California

Wrong-way driver injures 25 law enforcement recruits

A driver plowed into a group of law enforcement recruits while they were out for a training run early Wednesday in Southern California. Authorities said 25 people were injured in the crash, including the driver, and that five recruits were in critical condition.

The driver — identified as a 22-year-old man from Diamond Bar, California — was going the wrong way on the road, hitting a recruit class that was running in formation, officials said Wednesday at a press conference. 

The driver passed a field sobriety test and "blew a 0.0 on a breathalyzer," according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

"So, the cause of the accident, motive, anything, is unknown at this time," he said.

Paramedics set up a triage area at the scene and transported the injured to seven hospitals for treatment.

Two investigators stand next to a mangled SUV that struck Los Angeles County sheriff's recruits in Whittier, Calif., Nov. 16, 2022.  Jae C. Hong/AP

"There are red, yellow, and green tarps used by first responders to categorize the victims," Ret. Fire Captain Rick Godinez of the Los Angeles City Fire Department told CBS Los Angeles Wednesday morning. 

In all, 75 recruits from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and various agencies were running near a sheriff's training academy in the Whittier area. Those who were at the front of the formation could see the vehicle coming and were able to get out of the way, while those behind couldn't see and took the brunt of the impact, Villanueva said.

A CBS Los Angeles helicopter showed a large response of police and firefighters, as well as a vehicle on a sidewalk.

An investigation is ongoing and the driver was detained.  

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