North Hollywood crash: Driver accused of killing 3 women in crash near subway station arrested on suspicion of drunk driving

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) — The man who crashed into several pedestrians just outside the North Hollywood subway station, killing three women and injuring two others, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, police confirmed Wednesday.

The fatal crash happened shortly before 6 p.m. Tuesday near the North Lankershim Boulevard station, near Chandler Boulevard.

The driver of a white minivan, identified as Ihor Demianenko, 61, was heading south on Lankershim at an “unsafe speed” when he left the road and struck several pedestrians and food vendors on the sidewalk, according to Los Angeles police.

The LAPD said Demianenko was trapped in the car and needed to be extricated. He was hospitalized with minor injuries and then arrested for misdemeanor drunk driving. He also faces three counts of murder and is being held on bail of more than $6 million.

No further details on the exact cause of the accident were available, but three women were pronounced dead at the scene. Their names have not been released, but Los Angeles police confirmed their ages are 40, 53 and 69.

Two other affected people, women aged 50 to 55, were hospitalized in critical condition.

Beloved street vendors among victims

The incident occurred during a busy rush hour, when street vendors set up near the entrance and exit of the station.

Witnesses told Eyewitness News that at least two of the deceased victims were food vendors who had been operating outside of this subway station for years.

The family identified one of the victims as 73-year-old Maria Peck.

The medical examiner’s office said Tedora Villalobos, 57, also died.

A North Hollywood resident spoke to Eyewitness News about the third victim at the scene.

“That’s Doris. The woman who ran the cart,” Jeff Wilson said, showing a photo of the woman at his hot dog stand.

People who frequent the area were heartbroken by the news, saying that while they may not have known these women personally, they knew their smiling faces that they saw every day.

“Everyone knows them… they sit there and everything is there. They put everything on display and everyone comes to buy stuff from them and talk to them… They’re the nicest women ever,” one man said.

The women are described as fixtures in the community, and many said that even if you didn’t have money to buy food, they would still serve you.

Several commuters who stopped by a growing memorial at the scene Wednesday shared how heartbroken they were by the loss.

“The fact that they are no longer with us is very sad, you know,” Joseph Portillo said. “I see them every day. Now I’ll never see this lady. Imagine their family, imagine their children, how they feel now… It’s devastating, it’s just super devastating.”

In the debris field that followed Tuesday’s crash, Noé Orozco arrived to find one of his co-workers, a beloved food vendor, dead on the sidewalk, with no explanation. With tears in his eyes, he told Eyewitness News that he actually worked with them, dropping them off every morning and picking them up. He said he had just arrived to pick them up as usual when he saw the scene.

A GoFundMe page has been created to help the victims’ families who are struggling financially.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the fatal accident continues.