At least 30 people were injured, three of them critically, after a vehicle drove into a crowd of nightclub-goers on Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The crowd, made up mostly of women, had been queuing outside a popular nightclub when the vehicle, a Nissan Versa, struck them, also crashing into a taco truck and a nearby valet stand, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Cpt Adam VanGerpen, a spokesperson for the department, confirmed that the scene was chaotic, with paramedics rushing victims to local hospitals and trauma centres. Among those treated at the scene, one was discovered to have a gunshot wound, though it remains unclear if the injury was connected to the vehicle incident.
Images circulating on social media and from photojournalists at the scene show scattered debris, including shoes and food containers, littering the road. The immediate area was cordoned off as emergency services flooded the scene.
“This is under police investigation,” said VanGerpen. “It will be a large investigation with the LAPD.”
Partygoers who had been inside the nightclub reportedly rushed outside to assist the injured before first responders arrived. “They were all standing in line going into a nightclub. There was a taco cart out there, so they were getting some food, waiting to go in,” VanGerpen said. “The valet podium was taken out, the taco truck was taken out, and then a large number of people were impacted by the vehicle.”
As of Saturday morning, authorities had not confirmed whether the incident was intentional or accidental. The identity of the driver and the motive remain unknown.
The Los Angeles Police Department has taken over the investigation, while trauma teams continue to care for the injured. Further updates are expected as the situation develops.
