Los Angeles police are reviewing surveillance footage as investigators reconstruct the crash and determine the circumstances leading to the deadly impact.
Los Ángeles Press
LOS ANGELES — Ihor Demianenko, the 61-year-old driver accused of plowing into pedestrians near a North Hollywood Metro station during Tuesday evening’s rush hour, has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and three counts of murder, Los Angeles police said Wednesday.
Demianenko was taken to a hospital with minor injuries after the crash and was booked early Wednesday. His bail was set at $6 million.
Police said he was able to speak with officers after the collision but appeared to be in shock.
The crash killed three women and critically injured two others near the intersection of Lankershim Boulevard and the North Hollywood Metro station, in the busy NoHo commercial and arts district of the San Fernando Valley.
According to a local CBS News affiliate, the vehicle struck a food stand near a bus stop before coming to a stop on the sidewalk.
The three women who died were between 40 and 60 years old, according to police. Their identities have not been released. Two other women, both in their 50s, were critically injured.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the victims included street vendors and pedestrians.
“I’m heartbroken for the families of everyone impacted,” Bass wrote on X.
Video from the scene showed a white compact SUV with significant front-end damage resting partly on the sidewalk beside a Metro shelter structure.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said investigators would examine surveillance and other video from the area as part of what he described as a “prolonged but very deliberate investigation.”
The arrest marks a significant development from the initial investigation, when authorities had not determined whether the driver had lost control of the vehicle or intentionally struck the pedestrians.
Police have now identified Demianenko as the driver and are pursuing both DUI and murder allegations in connection with the deaths.