A 61-year-old man suspected of driving under the influence was arrested on three murder counts after his minivan struck pedestrians and a food vendor near a North Hollywood Metro station, killing three women and critically injuring two others, the Los Angeles Police Department said Wednesday.
Police identified the driver as Ihor Demianenko of Valley Village and said investigators determined he was intoxicated after Tuesday evening’s fatal crash.
Demianenko was booked on three counts of murder, and his bail was set at $6.03 million, according to police.
The collision occurred at about 5:55 p.m. Tuesday as Demianenko drove a white Toyota Sienna south on Lankershim Boulevard, just south of Chandler Boulevard, an LAPD news release said.
Police identified 61-year-old Ihor Demianenko as the driver of a minivan that struck pedestrians and a food vendor near the North Hollywood Metro station Tuesday. (KTTV)
According to police, the minivan veered right at an unsafe speed, hit the vendor and pedestrians near the sidewalk, then continued until it became lodged inside a building.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics pronounced three women dead at the scene. Police said the victims were Hispanic women between 40 and 60 years old. Their names have not been released while authorities notify their families.
Two additional women, both Hispanic and between 50 and 55 years old, were transported to a hospital in critical condition.
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Three women died and two others suffered critical injuries after a minivan struck pedestrians and a food vendor in North Hollywood Tuesday evening. (KTTV)
Demianenko sustained minor injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment before police arrested him.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass offered condolences to the victims’ families after the crash.
“I’m heartbroken for the families of everyone impacted,” Bass said in a statement posted on X. “We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.”
A minivan crashed near Los Angeles’ North Hollywood Metro station Tuesday, killing three women. Police arrested the driver on suspicion of DUI and three counts of murder. (KTTV)
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said investigators would conduct a thorough review of the circumstances surrounding the collision.
“It’ll be a prolonged but a very deliberate investigation to determine what happened here,” McDonnell told reporters. “Our hearts go out to the families of the victims that were struck here tonight.”
