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All Nine Victims Expected To Survive After Van Crashes Into Mid-City Restaurant
A hit-and-run Sunday afternoon sent a van hurtling into a Mid-City restaurant, injuring nine people. All are expected to recover, according to authorities, and the driver has been arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run.
The van driver ran a red light, causing a two-car collision, and then careened off the road and jumped the curb in front of The Fish Spot near Redondo and Pico Boulevards, according to KTLA. The van plowed through the patio area of the restaurant and victims sustained broken limbs and profuse bleeding. Eight of the victims were taken to a nearby hospital, according to the L.A. Times. One victim, a 44-year-old male, was in critical condition. Three other victims were in serious condition, and four were in fair condition, according to the LAFD. By Sunday night it became clear all the victims would survive.
The driver emerged disoriented from his van after the crash, according to CBS. He tried to flee on foot but bystanders detained him less than a block away, after which police officers arrested him. Police do not believe he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, nor do they believe he acted intentionally, according to the L.A. Times. Police reopened the area to traffic around 10:40 p.m. Sunday.
LAPD does not currently have updates on the conditions of the victims.
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