OVER two dozen sheriff recruits have been injured after a car rammed into them while on a morning run on Wednesday.
The incident involved 25 Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department recruits running in a pack as part of a training exercise at around 6.30am in South Whittier, about 23 miles from LA.
The LA County Fire Department said the harrowing incident unfolded when a 22-year-old male driver - going the wrong way - slammed into the group of about 40 to 50 recruits.
LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva confirmed 25 recruits were injured - five were transported to the hospital in critical condition.
Four others were treated for moderate injuries, while another 16 suffered minor injuries.
Villanueva said the injuries include loss of limbs, head trauma and broken bones.
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“We have had some loss of limb,” he said, adding, “It looked like an airplane wreck.
“There was so many bodies scattered everywhere in different states of injury that it was pretty traumatic for all individuals involved.”
Sheriff Villanueva said the cadets typically run in group formation on streets, with road guards and a vehicle following them.
Sheriff Villanueva said some recruits heard a car accelerating and estimated it was going around 35mph.
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The unidentified 22-year-old driver also suffered minor injuries, police said.
The driver was arrested and given a field sobriety test shortly after the crash and blew a 0.0, cops said.
The test does not rule out drugs, but Villanueva said the official cause of the incident remains unknown.
When reporters asked if the crash appeared accidental or intentional, Villanueva said, "It looks like it's an accident, a horrific accident."
Aerial footage from ABC 7 showed a gray SUV with extensive damage to the front of the vehicle as it slammed into a pole after.
“It made me just sick when I heard [about] it,” Supervisor Janice Hahn told KABC-TV. “I’m just hoping and praying that they all come through it.”
Emergency personnel were seen mounting victims onto stretchers and loading them into ambulances.
Retired LA Fire Department Captain Rick Godinez told CBS News that the hardest part of the incident was "finding each victim".
"There are red, yellow, and green tarps used by first responders to categorize the victims."
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The cadets were trainees at Sheriff’s Training Academy and Regional Services (S.T.A.R.S) Explore Academy in Whittier.
Recruits from the LACSD and several other law enforcement departments train at S.T.A.R.S.
