Nearly two dozen deputy recruits in a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department training academy class who were on a run near the academy Wednesday in the south Whittier area were injured, five critically, when they were hit by an SUV.
The motorist was taken into custody by authorities near the scene of the crash, which was reported about 6:30 a.m. in the 10600 block of Mills Avenue.
Paramedics set up a triage area at the scene, and transported the injured for hospital treatment, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Five people were in critical condition, four suffered “moderate” injuries, and 14 suffered minor injuries, the county fire department reported.
The circumstances of the crash were under investigation. The motorist’s name was not immediately available for release.
The crash scene is near the sheriff’s STARS Explorer Academy, which is in the 11500 block of Colima Road. Neighbors told reporters at the scene that recruits often run in groups through the neighborhoods near the academy.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva told the Los Angeles Times the cadets typically run in group formation on streets with road guards and following a vehicle.