A tow truck driver allegedly under the influence crashed into multiple parked vehicles Friday morning in downtown Los Angeles, leaving at least two people hospitalized, local reports say.
A tow truck collided with a red Prius and a silver Prius at around 2:30 a.m., causing the truck to roll and slide on its roof before slamming into eight parked cars, according to NBC News. The driver of one of the cars in the collision and the truck driver were rushed to the hospital in an unknown condition.
“As far as our investigation shows right now, the tow truck was going northbound on Griffith through the intersection [of] Washington and collided with a red Prius … we believe that caused them to overturn,” a Los Angeles Police Officer told on-scene reporters, per ABC7.
The truck reportedly plowed through several cars and caused a power line to fall, exposing live wires and causing a shower of sparks across the street, video of the incident from Eyewitness News shows. The tow truck caught on fire and was severely damaged, ABC7 reported.
A witness told the outlet the crash sounded like an explosion. (RELATED: ‘Super Fog’ On Louisiana Highway Results In Multi-Car Pileup And 7 Deaths, Police Say)
“I got out of my house because we thought the car was going to go like on fire and explode. It was just so scary,” she told the outlet.
The cause of the accident is still unclear, although the tow truck driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, KTLA5 reported.
In similar incident caught by bodycam footage from deputies in the area, a car drove up the ramp of a tow truck in May and flew off the ramp at full speed before crashing into another vehicle as it landed, according to KTUL News. The woman behind the wheel survived the incident but reportedly sustained severe injuries.