At least three people were injured early this morning in Van Nuys after two suspected drunk drivers crashed into each other, authorities said.
An eastbound car in the 13800 block of Sherman Way was in the process of making a U-turn when it was struck by an eastbound pickup truck, Los Angeles Police Officer James LaForce said. The car was pushed onto a curb, while the truck spun and pushed a parked sport utility vehicle onto a parked Ford Mustang.
The driver and passenger of the truck ran away. However, the driver was quickly arrested by an officer responding to the scene of the crash, LaForce said. About an hour later, the passenger was found in the area attempting to kick in the door of a residence, police said. Both are men about 22 years old. The driver is under arrest for a felony hit-and-run and under investigation for a misdemeanor DUI.
The driver of the car, a woman in her 20s, was injured and taken to a hospital. She is under investigation for a felony DUI. The two passengers in her car, a male and a female, both in their early 20s, were also hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
"It was ugly," LaForce said of the crash scene. "They’re lucky they’re alive."
— Corina Knoll