A 22-year-old individual, driving on the wrong way in Los Angeles County area in Southern California, crashed into a group of young law enforcement recruits while they were on a training run.

The accident resulted in the injury of 25 individuals, including the driver. Five of those injured are said to be in critical condition.

The injuries were confirmed by a press release by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has called the event “A horrific accident.”

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Villanueva further added that the driver was not intoxicated, which was confirmed by a breathalyzer test. Regarding the scene of the accident, the County Sheriff said, “It looked like an airplane wreck – so many bodies scattered everywhere in different states of injury,” further adding,  “It was pretty traumatic for all individuals.”

Although it was presumed initially by Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Sheila Kelliher that all the victims were recruits of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, it was later revealed that they came from various sectors of law enforcement: LA Sheriff’s Department; Glendale, Pasadena, as well as the Bell Police Departments. All of them were wearing white t-shirts and shorts that were green in colour.

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Kelliher said regarding the accident that it is “hard to see because these young people are getting ready to go put themselves in the line of danger in their career. And who knows that while you’re training to do that, you’re actually in harm’s way.”

The run they were on has been described as “typical” by Captain Ted McDonald, who is associated with the LASD Training Bureau. 

The scene was enclosed as a triage area and all the victims were admitted to seven different hospitals.

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Villanueva said that a total of 75 recruits were running together when the incident occurred. The ones who were in front spotted the vehicle coming towards them and were able to move out of the way, but the ones behind were not so lucky.