Blood and chaos littered a Westwood grocery store after an elderly woman drove her car through the location Thursday, killing multiple people.
Gruesome video, obtained by The California Post, shows the dazed woman sitting inside her wrecked Mercedes Benz just seconds after the crash. One victim can be seen sprawled across the hood of the vehicle with other debris.
The elderly woman, approximately 70, crashed into the store a little just after noon, killing at least three people and injuring six. The victims have been identified as a 42-year-old woman, a 55-year-old man and a 30-year-old man, according to ABC 7.
Due to the graphic nature of the footage, much has been blurred, including the driver’s face — who has not yet been arrested or charged for the incident.
The man behind the camera, speaking Spanish, is heard instructing the driver not to move to avoid further injury. “Please don’t move,” he urges.
At one point in the footage, a person in scrubs can be seen administering CPR to another victim struck by the Mercedes as horrified onlookers stand by. Another person who was stuck is seen on the ground writing in pain behind a counter.
The 99 Ranch Market, just blocks away from UCLA’s campus, looks as if a bomb just went off. Glass, grocery bags, and food strewn all over the floor.
The man behind the camera can be heard telling another person on scene that he was going into the store to buy something to drink when the crash happened. He can also be heard saying “there are some dead people,” and advised bystanders to leave the area.
Later parts of the footage show people cleaning up debris and calling for medical personnel.
“We need an ambulance!” an anxious woman tells a police officer walking into the wreckage.
First responders then start to clear the scene before the video ends.
The incident was so severe that first responders set up a triage area shortly after the crash, a usual occurrence after a mass-casualty event. A white tent covered up a body on the road.
Fire officials said they were not considering the crash an intentional incident. The woman hit a cyclist, who was not injured, before losing control of her vehicle and crashing into the store. She cooperated with police at the scene and was medically evaluated.
The Los Angeles Police Department said they are “doing a thorough investigation to determine the surrounding circumstances that led up” to the crash.
Mayor Karen Bass told ABC 7 in a statement that LAPD, LAFD, and the mayor’s crisis response team will remain on scene.
“My heart is with the victims, their families, and all who were impacted by the deadly crash at the 99 Ranch Market in Westwood this afternoon,” Bass said.
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