LA Sheriff Cadets Hit by a Vehicle Going in the Wrong Direction

At least 22 young sheriff’s academy cadets were struck by a vehicle steered by a 22-year-old guy while they were going for a morning training run in the Los Angeles suburbs of south Whittier.

According to ABC7, the driver, said to reside in Diamond Bar from East Los Angeles, was handed a sobriety test, and is now in police custody.

As stated by the California Highway Patrol, this incident was initially reported at 6.30 a.m., near Telegraph and Mills Avenue Road intersection. Deputy Jesse Lucero, a department spokeswoman, gave more information at the scene Wednesday about what happened to the Sheriff’s Department recruits.

The cadets are taught at the Regional Services Center and the Sheriff’s Training Academy, about a mile from the incident location. Furthermore, the recruits were on a class-training exercise with the STARS Explorer Academy in South Whittier.

Statement from the Los Angeles County Fire Department

While the cadets were on a regular run Wednesday morning, the driver traveled in the wrong direction down the road, and eventually, we learned that the driver plowed through twenty-two members, many of who are in critical condition. According to Captain Sheila Kelliher, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman, it was unknown how he lost track of the automobile.

She stated that at least 23 persons, including the suspect, were hurt. A total of 22 were struck by a vehicle while on their morning run. She added that five deputy trainees from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were critically hurt, four had moderate injuries, and 14 had minor injuries.

Captain Kelliher said the trainees “were sprinting – conducting their morning training routine when this person rushed into them.” They don’t know what happened and don’t know how the driver plowed through the group, leaving several in critical condition.

Captain Kelliher verified that a lighting pole had also been struck.

A Statement from a Witness

According to Joseph, a witness, the street is incredibly unsafe. It’s the main route, but there is so much traffic, and people usually drive while intoxicated or speed through the road.

He went on to say that it’s unusual to hear a bang like that outside their house. However, they’d never seen anything this horrible before.

Ambulances arrived “within 10 minutes,” he added,  “Everyone was panicking, there were wires on fire, and the vehicle was smoking… it was a horrific scene.” Those helping showed incredible courage.

Joseph told ABC7 that “the entire front end of the automobile was smashed in the south Whittier area. The light post had fallen to the floor… a few neighbors called the sheriff’s department.”

“There were a lot of people. Everyone was in varying states of consciousness; some were asleep, some were still conscious, some suffered minor injuries, and some had severe leg injuries. There were folks whose faces were bleeding, ” he stated.

This is a developing news story, so please check back for new updates on the condition of Sheriff’s Department recruits.