Sandy MaloneWhittier, CA – Eleven Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) recruits are in critical condition after they were run over by a car in Whittier while on their Wednesday morning training run.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) said the incident occurred at about 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 16 at the intersection of Mills Avenue and Telegraph Road, KTVU reported.
The sheriff’s department recruits were attending the Sheriff’s Training Academy and Regional Services (STARS) Center, which is about a mile-and-a-half away from the crash scene in the 11500-block of Colima Road.
Whittier is about 20 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, KTVU reported.
DEVELOPING: Car rams into sherif recruits out for morning run in Whittier, California; mass casualty incident declared pic.twitter.com/0HWG097OoK
— Intel Point ALERT (@IntelPointAlert) November 16, 2022
Authorities said the driver of the vehicle that ran over the law enforcement recruits was given a sobriety test at the scene and taken into custody.
However, the results of the sobriety test have not yet been released, KTVU reported.
At least 11 victims were transported to various area hospitals in critical condition, including two recruits who were in such serious condition that they had to be airlifted.
Officials said that as many as 15 recruits may have been struck by the vehicle, KTVU reported.
BREAKING: Mass casualty incident after a group of sheriff recruits out for morning run were hit by a car in Whittier.
At least 11 are in CRITICAL condition. @foxla— Gigi Graciette (@GigiGraciette) November 16, 2022
Los Angeles County Fire Department, reported a total of 21 (TWENTY ONE) recruits were injured in the crash and SEVEN patients are in critical condition.
— WolfoftheMoon (@RobinR22779846) November 16, 2022
Neighbors said it wasn’t uncommon to see sheriff’s academy classes jogging through the neighborhood as a group.
LASD Sheriff Alex Villanueva said he was on the way to the hospital to check on the recruits, some of whom had suffered life-threatening injuries, KTVU reported.
LASD Dep. Recruit class assigned to the STAR Explore Training Academy, Whittier, were struck by a vehicle at approx. 6:26 am, 10600 blk of Mills Ave during their run. Multiple injuries, & all victims transported to local hospitals.
For further: https://t.co/kZpXlyVs1y pic.twitter.com/6PSvi7EFI8— LA County Sheriffs (@LASDHQ) November 16, 2022
Multiple recruits with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office were run over by a car early Wednesday morning.
As many as 11 are in critical condition.
The driver has been detained.
— Jewhadi™ (@JewhadiTM) November 16, 2022
This is the scene in #Whittier where 22 #LASD law enforcement recruits were hit by an SUV while out jogging. 5 are critical. @knxnews pic.twitter.com/sRrhd3HCKr
— Jon Baird (@KNXBaird) November 16, 2022
As many as 21 sheriff recruits are injured — with seven in critical condition — after group is hit by a car during their morning run in Los Angeles pic.twitter.com/XqcyZtiO5I
— Austin Frisch (@FrischReport) November 16, 2022
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Holly Matkin