A 61-year-old man suspected of driving under the influence was arrested on three counts of murder after his minivan crashed into pedestrians and a food vendor near a North Hollywood Metro station, killing three women and critically injuring two others, Los Angeles police announced Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Police Department identified the driver as Ihor Demianenko of Valley Village, who investigators determined was under the influence after Tuesday evening’s deadly crash.
He was arrested on three counts of murder, and his bail was set at $6.03 million, police said.
The crash happened around 5:55 p.m. Tuesday when Demianenko was driving a white Toyota Sienna southbound on Lankershim Boulevard, just south of Chandler Boulevard, according to an LAPD news release.
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Police said the minivan veered right at an unsafe speed, struck a food vendor and pedestrians near the sidewalk and continued moving before becoming stuck inside a building.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics pronounced three women dead at the crash site. Police said the victims were Hispanic women between 40 and 60 years old whose identities have not been released pending notification of their families.
Two other women, both Hispanic and between 50 and 55 years old, were taken to a hospital in critical condition.
Demianenko suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment before his arrest, police said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed condolences to the victims’ families following 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.”
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell previously said investigators would conduct a thorough investigation into 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.”
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The LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division is investigating the collision. Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at 818-644-8114 or 818-644-8117.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.
