LOS ANGELES, Nov 10 – Three people were killed and several others were injured after a minivan struck pedestrians outside a busy metro station in Los Angeles during Tuesday evening rush hour. The driver and at least two other people suffered critical injuries, according to authorities, as investigators worked to establish what caused the vehicle to leave the roadway and crash into people gathered near the station.
The incident happened shortly before 6 p.m. at a busy intersection in the North Hollywood neighborhood, where pedestrians and street vendors were carrying out their usual evening activities. The minivan mounted the sidewalk and struck people in the area before coming to a stop beneath a tent belonging to a food vendor.
Emergency services responded to the scene, where several victims were found injured across the sidewalk and near the metro station entrance. The three fatalities were confirmed by authorities, while the condition of the injured raised further concerns about the severity of the collision.
Los Angeles Police Capt. Warner Castillo said the driver, who is in his 60s, was removed from the vehicle following the crash. Although he was critically injured, he remained conscious and was able to speak with those around him. Castillo said the man appeared to be in shock after the incident.
Authorities had not established whether the collision was deliberate or accidental when police provided their initial account. Investigators were still working to determine how the minivan entered the pedestrian area and whether any circumstances involving the driver or the vehicle contributed to the crash.
“We don’t know if it was done intentionally, if it was done by accident,” Castillo said during a news conference.
The uncertainty surrounding the circumstances meant that investigators would need to examine the available evidence before reaching conclusions. Police had not announced any determination about the driver’s actions, and officials cautioned against assuming that the crash was either an intentional attack or an accidental collision.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said investigators would carefully examine video footage showing the moments leading up to the incident and the collision itself. The footage is expected to help establish the minivan’s movements, its approach to the intersection and what happened as it entered the area occupied by pedestrians.
McDonnell said the investigation would involve a detailed review rather than an immediate determination about the cause.
“It will be probably a prolonged but a very deliberate investigation to determine what happened here,” he said.
The investigation is particularly important because the crash occurred in an active public area where pedestrians, commuters and street vendors regularly gather. Establishing the sequence of events could help investigators determine whether the driver lost control, experienced a medical emergency or deliberately directed the vehicle toward people. However, authorities had not confirmed any of these possibilities.
Images from the scene showed the minivan resting on the sidewalk beneath the food vendor’s tent. Debris was scattered around the vehicle, while its driver’s side door remained open and an airbag had deployed. Fire engines and emergency response vehicles were positioned nearby as crews continued working in the area.
A helicopter also flew overhead as emergency personnel and investigators remained at the scene. The presence of damaged property and scattered debris reflected the force of the collision, which struck people in an area that would normally see considerable pedestrian activity during the evening commute.
Witnesses described a sudden and disturbing scene, with people lying injured on the ground and others rushing toward the victims to offer assistance.
Luis Luna-Guzman, who was working at a nearby burger stand when the collision occurred, said he heard a loud boom before noticing people on the ground. Food and cups had been scattered around the area, suggesting that the crash had disrupted nearby vendors and pedestrians.
After hearing the impact, people in the surrounding area began moving toward the crash site. Luna-Guzman also approached to see whether anyone needed help.
As he got closer, he noticed an injured woman lying near the bicycle racks. She had visible injuries to her face, arms and legs, and appeared to be in considerable pain. Her eyes were closed, and she was moaning as she lay on the ground.
Luna-Guzman said he tried to reassure her and urged her not to move while emergency assistance was on the way.
“I told her, ‘Don’t move, help is coming,’” he recalled.
The witness also described seeing a woman’s body nearby and another woman lying motionless on the stairs leading toward the metro station. The accounts highlighted how the collision affected several parts of the pedestrian area, including the sidewalk, bicycle parking section and station entrance.
The victims included both street vendors and pedestrians, according to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Her comments indicated that people who were working in the area and those simply passing through were among those affected.
Bass expressed sympathy for the victims and their families in a statement shared on X following the incident.
“I’m heartbroken for the families of everyone impacted,” the mayor said.
Her statement came as emergency crews continued responding to the aftermath and investigators began examining the circumstances surrounding the collision. The deaths have also raised concerns about pedestrian safety in busy public spaces, particularly locations where commuters and small businesses operate close to heavily used roads.
Adrin Nazarian, the Los Angeles City Council member representing the district that includes North Hollywood, also addressed the incident. He described the location as a close-knit neighborhood with considerable daily activity, where pedestrians, commuters and local businesses regularly share the same public spaces.
Nazarian said the area is normally busy, making the crash particularly concerning for residents and people familiar with the neighborhood.
“This is a constantly very active place, so it’s extremely concerning when you hear something like this happen,” he said.
The collision also affected access to part of the nearby public transportation facility, although the wider metro network continued operating. One entrance to the station remained closed Tuesday night as authorities dealt with the immediate aftermath of the crash.
Jose Ubaldo, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said the incident had not otherwise affected the property’s operations. Both bus and subway services at the station remained open, allowing commuters to continue using the transportation facilities despite the closure of one entrance.
The limited disruption to transit services came as emergency personnel and investigators continued working around the crash site. The closed entrance was expected to remain a restricted area while officials managed the scene and carried out their work.
North Hollywood is a busy part of Los Angeles, with public transportation facilities, businesses, food vendors and pedestrian routes bringing large numbers of people into the same area. The crash occurred during the evening rush hour, when commuters were likely moving through the neighborhood and local vendors were serving customers.
For those who witnessed the collision, the immediate concern was helping the injured and understanding what had happened. The accounts from people near the scene described a sudden impact followed by confusion, scattered belongings and multiple injured people requiring assistance.
Despite the initial information provided by witnesses and officials, important questions remained unanswered. Police had not established why the minivan entered the pedestrian area, whether the driver had experienced a medical problem or whether another factor contributed to the collision.
The Los Angeles Police Department said the review of available video footage would form part of its investigation, alongside other evidence gathered at the scene. Investigators will need to reconstruct the vehicle’s movements and examine the circumstances before determining whether criminal conduct or an accident was involved.
As of Tuesday night, three people had been confirmed dead, while the driver and at least two other victims remained critically injured. Authorities had not released further details about the identities of those killed or the complete circumstances surrounding their injuries.
The investigation remained ongoing, with officials emphasizing that the cause of the crash had not yet been determined.