Three people were killed when a minivan struck people outside a Los Angeles Metro station during the Tuesday evening rush hour, authorities said. The driver and at least two other people suffered critical injuries. The crash occurred shortly before 6 p.m. at a busy intersection in North Hollywood, and the vehicle came to rest beneath a food vendor’s tent.
Los Angeles Police Capt. Warner Castillo said the driver, a man in his 60s, was removed from the minivan and could speak, although he appeared to be in shock. Authorities had not immediately established what caused the crash. Castillo said investigators did not yet know whether the driver had acted intentionally or whether the collision was accidental.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said investigators would examine footage of the crash one frame at a time. He described the inquiry ahead as a careful process that would probably take considerable time as police worked to establish what had happened.
On Tuesday night, the minivan remained on the sidewalk amid scattered debris. Its driver’s door was open, and an air bag had deployed. Emergency personnel and fire engines were nearby, while a helicopter flew above the scene.
Luis Luna-Guzman, who was working at a nearby burger stand, said a loud boom drew his attention to the crash. He saw people lying on the ground among food and cups as others in the area ran toward the scene. Approaching the station, he found an injured woman near the bicycle racks with blood on her face, arms and legs.
The woman’s eyes were closed and she was moaning in pain, Luna-Guzman recalled. He told her to remain still because help was coming. He also reported seeing a woman’s body nearby and another woman lying motionless on the steps leading to the station.
Mayor Karen Bass said street vendors and pedestrians were among the victims and expressed sorrow for the affected families in a post on X. City Council member Adrin Nazarian, whose district covers North Hollywood, described the neighborhood as close-knit and the location as consistently busy, making the crash especially concerning.
One station entrance remained shut Tuesday night, according to Jose Ubaldo, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He said the property was otherwise unaffected and that both the bus and subway stations remained open.
