Vehicle plows into crowd waiting to enter nightclub in Los Angeles, injuring 30 people

A vehicle rammed into a crowd of people waiting to enter a nightclub along a busy boulevard in Los Angeles early Saturday, injuring 30 people.

Victims were transported to local hospitals and trauma centers, according to Capt. Adam Van Gerpen, public information officer for the Los Angeles City Fire Department. At least seven were in critical condition after being injured along Santa Monica Boulevard in East Hollywood, the fire department said. 

Van Gerpen said that a line of people — the majority female — were waiting to enter a nightclub when they were struck by a Nissan Versa that also hit a taco truck and valet stand.

The Los Angeles Police Department says bystanders then removed the driver from the vehicle and attacked him.  

Paramedics discovered that one of the patients had a gunshot wound, Van Gerpen said. He said the identity of that person was not yet known.

“This is under police investigation,” he said. “This will be a large investigation with the LAPD.”

People inside the club came out to help in the minutes before emergency crews arrived, he said, to help the victims.

“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. And there’s also a valet line there,” he 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.”

A witness who was standing outside the club when the crash happened describes the chaos.

“We heard a loud bang and we all started ducking, we think it’s gun shots,” he said. “We are in disbelief because 20 seconds more that would have been us.”

Francisco Mendez arrived at the scene half an hour after the incident after hearing that his sister-in-law and her husband had been injured.

The couple had been working at a hot dog stand outside the club when the car drove into the crowd, Mendez said.

“They were both hit and are now hospitalized,” Mendez told the AP.

Los Angeles City Fire says a total of 124 firefighters responded to the scene, where they set up a large triage area outside the club. In addition to the seven people in critical condition, another six are in serious condition.  

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass released a statement Saturday morning calling the crash a “heartbreaking tragedy” and thanked the first responders who helped the victims.

“The hearts of Angelenos are with all of the victims impacted this morning — a full investigation into what happened is underway,” Bass said.

The Vermont Hollywood club is located a few blocks west of the famed Sunset Junction in the Silver Lake district.