Vehicle rams into crowd in Los Angeles: 30 injured in incident at East Hollywood; suspect arrested for assault

A vehicle ploughed into a crowd in Los Angeles' East Hollywood , injuring 30 people, according to the Fire Department , quoted by AP.

The incident occurred in the US city's Santa Monica Boulevard early Saturday (local time), prompting an emergency response. It has left three people in critical condition, the department reported.

Police have arrested a 29-year-old man suspected of deliberately driving his car into the crowd outside a nightclub. The man, identified as Fernando Ramirez, was taken into custody and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, Los Angeles police said.

LAPD spokesperson Rosario Cervantes confirmed to AFP that Ramirez has been booked and remains in custody as the investigation continues.

Authorities reported that 124 fire personnel assisted at the scene, according to ABC News report. A preliminary investigation suggests that the driver may have lost consciousness, drove into a taco cart, and ran into a large crowd outside a club in East Hollywood, according to Police Capt Adam Van Gerpen, public information officer for the Los Angeles City Fire Department. "LAFD is coordinating patient triage and transport at this time," authorities said in an initial statement early Saturday morning.


Paramedics discovered a gunshot wound on one of the patients, Van Gerpen said. He told the Associated Press that the person's identity was not yet known. "This is under police investigation," he said. "This will be a large investigation with the LAPD."