November 16, 2022 11:44am
Updated: November 17, 2022 2:12pm
Update: Authorities now say that 25 law enforcement recruits were injured by a driver going the wrong way. 75 total recruits were on the morning run, wearing yellow safety vests or white shirts and accompanied by black-and-white safety cars.
The 22-year-old driver was also injured after hitting a light pole and passed a sobriety test. Police have so far decline to release the driver's name.
Witnesses say they heard the car accelerated as it headed toward the exercise group.
Original:
At least 11 law enforcement recruits have been injured in California on Wednesday after a vehicle plowed into them during an early morning jog, according to authorities.
The California Highway Patrol said the incident was reported around 6:30 a.m. in Whittier, a suburb of Los Angeles, where the cadets are attending the Sheriff’s Training Academy and Regionals Services (STARS) Center, reports Fox 11.
The 11 victims were rushed to area trauma centers, some airlifted. Two are in critical condition and up to 15 recruits may have been hit, according to Fox 11.
Helicopter footage from the scene showed emergency personal scrambling to triage the injured victims.
Authorities said the driver took a sobriety test before being taken into custody but did not elaborate on the results.
The exact circumstances leading up to the tragic crash is still under investigation.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he plans to visit and check-in with the victims and said that some have suffered injuries that are life-threatening.
On Tuesday, Villanueva conceded to former Long Beach Sheriff Police Chief Robert Luna in this year’s midterm elections.
