Driver Fleeing Parking Enforcement Hits Four People In MacArthur Park

Four men were sitting under a tree at MacArthur Park when they were hit by a pickup truck driven by a man trying to flee parking enforcement officers, reports the L.A. Times.

The incident was reported at around 12:30 p.m. on Thursday. Police say that the driver of the vehicle was parked by a meter on Park View Street when Department of Transportation ticketing officers spotted him. When the officers approached him, the motorist put his truck into reverse, jumped a curb, and drove several hundred yards into the park, where he hit the four men.

The victims, ranging from 24 to 35 years old, were transported to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. According to KTLA, all four men were initially reported to be in critical condition. The LAPD later clarified that only two of the victims had suffered life-threatening injuries.

The driver was detained by officers, and was then released after being questioned. Officers say that he was not intoxicated at the time of the incident. A park-goer told the Times that the motorist was a "nice man" and that he'd been living out of his truck in that area for about two years.

KNX reporter Claudia Peschiutta was out at the scene on Thursday: