Over 30 individuals were injured, with seven in critical condition, when a vehicle drove into a crowd outside an East nightclub in the early hours of Saturday, according to authorities. The incident occurred around 2 a.m. when a Nissan Versa crashed into a group of people waiting to enter The Vermont Hollywood club on Santa Monica Boulevard, near Vermont Avenue.
The crowd was comprised of individuals waiting to enter the club, as well as those in line at a nearby taco cart and valet service. “The valet podium was taken out, the taco truck was taken out, and then a large number of people were impacted by the vehicle,” stated Capt. Adam VanGerpen of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The majority of the individuals waiting to enter the club, which was hosting “So-Cal’s Biggest Reggaeton & Hip-Hop Party,” were women, VanGerpen noted. Following the incident, angry onlookers pulled the driver from the vehicle and assaulted him before emergency services arrived.
The driver was later treated for a gunshot wound at a local hospital. However, it remains unclear whether the gunshot wound was inflicted before or after the collision, or what prompted the driver to crash into the crowd. The suspected shooter, who reportedly used a silver revolver, remains at large.
Meanwhile, those inside the club rushed to assist the victims as they awaited the arrival of emergency personnel. A total of 124 firefighters responded to the scene, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Authorities reported that 23 individuals were receiving medical treatment at local hospitals.
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation. “This is under police investigation,” VanGerpen said. “This will be a large investigation with the LAPD.”