Los Angeles driver arrested after hitting a group of runners
Twenty-five police cadets were taken to hospital after being hit by an SUV on their morning group run
On Thursday, a 22-year-old Los Angeles man was arrested after driving his SUV into a group of 25 runners on Nov. 16.
According to local news and authorities, the man veered onto the wrong side of the road in the L.A. suburb of Whittier, Ca., crashing into a group of police cadets who were out for a morning run.
BREAKING: 22-year-old wrong way driver who plowed into group of police and sheriff recruits yesterday injuring two dozen has been arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. @foxla pic.twitter.com/AgORzsI6uG
— Gigi Graciette (@GigiGraciette) November 17, 2022
Authorities reported that five of the recruits were critically hurt, four suffered moderate injuries and 16 have minor injuries. The driver, Nicholas Gutierrez, was arrested for suspicion of attempted murder of an officer.
“It looked like an airplane wreck, there were so many bodies scattered everywhere,” L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said at a news conference Wednesday.
The cadets were Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department recruits and consisted of 75 individuals who were out for a morning run around 6:30 a.m., while it was still dark.
The cause of the crash is unknown, but the LAPD is continuing to investigate. Villanueva confirmed that the driver passed a breathalyzer test (indicating alcohol was not a factor).
California Highway Patrol continues to investigate whether the crash was intentional or the result of distracted driving or driving under the influence of recreational drugs.
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