Three pedestrians lost their lives and three others were left in critical condition after a sport utility vehicle struck people near a transit station in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, on Tuesday. The collision occurred at the intersection of Lankershim and Chandler Boulevards, disrupting the busy commercial area known as NoHo. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, the accident happened just before 6 p.m. local time. The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that the vehicle hit five individuals, with three declared dead at the scene. Two other pedestrians and the driver were transported to hospitals, with the driver remaining in critical condition, as reported by Daily Maverick and Khaleej Times.
Aerial footage from KCAL-TV, a CBS affiliate, showed a small white SUV that had climbed onto the sidewalk beneath a blue canopy. The vehicle appeared to strike the side of a mass-transit shelter structure, as described in reports from Daily Maverick and Khaleej Times. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass explained that the car drove onto the pavement and hit a cluster of street vendors and passersby. She noted that emergency crews were present and that city departments were coordinating their response. In a post on X, Bass expressed her sorrow for the affected families, stating, “I’m heartbroken for the families of everyone impacted.”
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger commented on the ongoing inquiry, noting the need to clarify the sequence of events. She said, “We need to understand exactly what happened and what led to this tragedy,” according to Daily Maverick and Khaleej Times. A police spokesperson indicated that officials had not yet decided if the crash was an accident or intentional. Punch also covered the incident, drawing a parallel to a recent pedestrian collision in Glasgow, Scotland, where a car hit people on Hyndland Road. That Glasgow crash occurred earlier in the day, involving police, firefighters, and ambulance personnel, according to Punch. Authorities in Los Angeles are still gathering details about the specific circumstances that led to the vehicle leaving the roadway.