An SUV crashed into a store on Friday afternoon near the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, officials said, seriously injuring at least four people, including two journalists from a local television station.
At around 3:30 pm, the SUV hit five pedestrians before hitting the window of a liquor store on the southwest corner of the intersection, one of Hollywood’s busiest and most famous intersections. Five people were taken to a trauma center, at least four of whom were in critical to critical condition, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
All those injured in the incident were in stable condition early Friday evening, wrote Chief Michel Moore of the Los Angeles Police Department on Twitter.
Among the injured were a FOX 11 reporter in Los Angeles and a photographer, KTTV television station said. Hal Eisner and Joab Perez were preparing a report on the reopening of the El Capitan Theater when they were hit by the SUV, the station said. Eisner and Perez were among the four people taken to the hospital.
Two Washington tourists were also injured. One suffered “serious injuries”, which included a broken leg and broken ribs, said Moore; the other, “moderate injuries”, such as cuts and bruises.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, said policeman Mike Lopez, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department. The driver was also taken to a hospital, added Lopez.
“This incident points to [the] ongoing threat that the DUI poses to our security, ”wrote Moore on Twitter.
The video of the scene showed a white Nissan SUV smashed against the window of the Highland Market, located between a tattoo parlor and a hostel on Hollywood Boulevard. The building was not at risk of collapse or other serious structural damage, fire officials said.