3 killed when SUV crashes into North Hollywood food stand; driver arrested on suspicion of murder
By Dean Fioresi, Rina Nakano, Hunter Sowards and Austin Turner
Click here for updates on this story
LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Police say three people are dead after an SUV crashed into a food stand near a North Hollywood bus stop in Los Angeles on Tuesday night.
The collision occurred at around 5:55 p.m. local time near the Metro station at the corner of Lankershim and Chandler boulevards, according to the LA Police Department.
Firefighters said three people were pronounced dead at the scene, while three others were taken to a nearby hospital, two of whom were in critical condition at the time. As of 11 p.m., one of the victims remained in stable condition, while the other was still critical.
None of the victims have yet been identified by police, who said all three were between 40 and 70 years old. Witnesses told CBS LA the three women were street vendors in the area, and one had worked there for more than 15 years.
The critically injured individuals are also women between 50 and 55 years old.
Crews extricated one person, the driver, from the wreckage, according to LAFD.
“I’m heartbroken for the families of everyone impacted,” Mayor Karen Bass wrote in a statement on X. “We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.”
LAPD officers said the driver of the white SUV was in serious condition and was determined to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. Police identified him as Ihor Demianenko, a 61-year-old Valley Village resident. He was arrested on suspicion of three counts of murder.
Demianenko is currently being held on more than $6 million bail.
The circumstances surrounding the collision remain under investigation, but LAPD Major Collision Investigation Team and Valley Traffic Division detectives said that Demianenko was attempting to avoid another car that was driving “legally and safely” before the crash. Police said they would continue looking for security camera footage from the Metro bus station and businesses in the surrounding area as their probe continued.
“It’ll be a prolonged but a very deliberate investigation to determine what happened here,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said. “Our hearts go out to the families of the victims that were struck here tonight.”
Aerial footage showed the white SUV stopped on the sidewalk underneath a canopy, where the food stand was set up.
Mourners identified two of the women as Teodora, a 57-year-old woman known fondly as Doris, and Maria, 73.
On Tuesday night, some of Doris’ family members of one of the three women killed stopped by a growing memorial.
“There are no words to express the absence that she’s gonna have over my life,” Doris’ daughter, Melissa Villalobos, said. “Every goal, everything that I do is gonna be for her. Everything that I achieve will be for her, because of every sacrifice that she has done for me.”
She said she hopes that her mother is remembered as a selfless, independent and hardworking woman.
“She never neglected to give someone food, never neglected to give a bottle of water,” Melissa Villalobos said. “I am grateful of that time that I had her for.”
Los Angeles City Councilman Adrin Nazarian, who represents the area, has partnered with nonprofit organization ICON CDC to create a GoFundMe fundraiser to assist the families of the three victims. It can be found by searching for the keywords: “NoHo Metro Station Street Vendor Support Fund.”
“We sat there and talked all day, two days ago,” said Laduke Warwick. “Today, she’s in heaven. I guarantee they’re all in heaven.”
He said their relationship began years ago when he was homeless. Though he’s now housed, he’ll never forget the day that Doris handed him a bacon-wrapped hot dog, a soda, and struck up a conversation with him.
“They’re just such amazing people. I can’t believe they left like that,” Warwick said. “If I could say anything to them, I’d say thank you so much for all the amazing blessings that you have shared with me in a short moment of my life, that I can’t even repay with words, money or kindness.
Local street photographer Jeff Wilson snapped some photos of Doris just four months ago, calling her an “anchor” of the community after more than a decade of serving food.
“Pre-COVID to COVID, past COVID to all the ICE crazy stuff, she was here,” Wilson said. “She was always doing something, helping people.”
The memorial continued to grow at the spot of the crash throughout the day Wednesday, with dozens of community members stopping by to pay their respects. Of the dozens who stopped, many remembered the trio of women who were always there to lend a helping hand to those who needed it the most.
“They’re mothers, grandmothers. They’re somebody’s somebody,” said Mike Sandoval, a regular customer. “They were out here every day. I had good days, I had bad days coming through this area, and every time I needed something they were always there.”
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.