The driver of a minivan who jumped a curb and ran onto the sidewalk in North Hollywood Tuesday night, killing three people, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and three counts of murder, Los Angeles police said.
Ihor Demianenko, 61, is being held on more than $6 million bail in Van Nuys, according to jail records, in connection with the fatal crash that occurred shortly before 6 p.m. in the 3500 block of North Lankershim Boulevard.
According to witnesses, the minivan went over the curb near Chandler Boulevard, a short walk from the North Hollywood B Line subway station, and crashed into a food vendor stand and a crowd of people.
Three pedestrians were pronounced dead at the scene. Two other people and the driver were taken to a hospital for treatment, Capt. Mike Bland, an LAPD spokesman, said Tuesday evening.
Bland said the vehicle was heading south on Lankershim. It is not clear what caused the accident.
The incident occurred in an area that is typically busy and populated by evening commuters. Vendors are often found at the entrances to train stops on either side of Lankershim serving coffee, pastries, tamales, and other snacks to people traveling on the subway.
The accident led to a massive response from law enforcement and paramedics. A Toyota Sienna with significant damage to the right side, including a mangled passenger door, remained at the crash site Tuesday evening with all four wheels on the sidewalk, under a blue tent. A few feet away was a collapsed red awning tent surrounded by debris, including soda cans and what appeared to be a baking sheet.
“First responders are on scene and my office is working in close coordination with city departments as authorities work to determine the cause of this horrific incident,” Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement on X. “I am heartbroken for the families of everyone affected.”
Kassandra Guzman, 12, was sitting outside her family’s hamburger stand on the other side of Lankershim when she saw a car speeding down Lankershim and through the blue tarpaulin where a number of food vendors usually set up shop.
The vendors sell coffee, tamales, hot dogs and pastries, according to Guzman, who said the injured people had worked there for years.
“I’m just glad it’s not my family, but it still hurts,” she said.
The deaths come two months after a driver crashed into a Metro bus in Chatworth, killing two people on board.
The driver in that incident, Bailee Lynn Rios, was charged with reckless driving, driving under the influence and two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31, who was ejected from the bus during the crash.
“I am stunned by the tragic loss of life in North Hollywood and my thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones and everyone affected by this devastating incident,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement. “My thoughts are also with those who have been seriously injured and I hope for their recovery during this difficult time.”
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