The man accused of driving into pedestrians at a North Hollywood Metro station, killing three women, has been arrested.
Police said 61-year-old Ihor Demianenko was taken into custody on suspicion of felony DUI after allegedly plowing into a crowd Tuesday night.
Demianenko was driving a white SUV southbound on North Lankershim Boulevard shortly before 6 p.m. when he struck several street vendors, killing three people and injuring two others.
Officials had to remove Demianenko from the heavily damaged vehicle. He was conscious but appeared to be in shock at the scene.
Jail records show Demianenko is being held at the LAPD’s Valley Jail in Van Nuys on $6.03 million bail.
According to ABC7, the victims were 40, 53, and 69 years old. At least two were food vendors, while both injured victims remained hospitalized, the outlet reported.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell went to the scene and said investigators were examining video of the crash.
“Investigators have the video. They’ll run it down and slow-motion it and take it frame-by-frame to determine what happened,” McDonnell said.
Video from the scene showed debris scattered across the area outside the Metro station.
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The SUV also tore through tents outside the station as emergency crews responded to the chaotic scene.
One witness said the vehicle came dangerously close to striking him.
“I felt the wind of the whoosh, of the wind, on my left shoulder,” Gian Barbarona told ABC7.
“I initially thought that the car went into the station. That’s how bad it was visually,” Barbarona added.
Noe Orozco, a friend of one of the victims, said he found one of his colleagues dead on the sidewalk. He had arrived to pick them up, as he did on most days.
Mayor Karen Bass said she was “heartbroken” by the incident.
“First responders are on the scene, and my office is closely coordinating with City departments as authorities work to determine what caused this horrific incident.
“I’m heartbroken for the families of everyone impacted. We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available,” she wrote on X.
The investigation remains ongoing.
