In the Los Angeles suburb of Whittier, the group of at least 23 police recruits was struck by a car being driven by a 22-year-old man as they went for a morning run.

Also Read| Explosion and 2-alarm fire at a building in Gaithersburg, Maryland: Many children among injured

Police administered a sobriety test to the suspect who is thought to have been driving the car, and he was also taken to a hospital, according to ABC7. The incident was initially reported to California Highway Patrol at 6:30 a.m., not far from the intersection of Mills Avenue and Telegraph Road.

Also Read| Gina Rinehart, Australia’s richest woman spotted at Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential announcement

About a mile and a half from the incident scene, the recruits are receiving training at the Sheriff’s Training Academy and Regional Services (STARS) Center on Colima Road. Investigations are being conducted into the incident, including the circumstances that led to the group being struck.

Also Read| Kevin Spacey to face 7 additional sexual assault charges in Britain

Police trainees frequently run in the area in large groups while wearing high-visibility vests, a local resident told Fox 11 in the area. The Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Captain Sheila Kelliher told the assembled media that the driver was going the wrong way down the road and that it was not clear how he lost control of the vehicle.

Also Read| What happened to Shanquella Robinson in Mexico?

According to her, 23 people were hurt, including the driver. She claimed that 14 sheriff’s deputy cadets had minor injuries, four had moderate injuries, and five had critical injuries.

The cadets “were running doing their morning training exercise when this person ran into them,” Captain Kelliher told the media of the incident. Captain Kelliher confirmed that a light pole was also struck.

Also Read| Who is Eddy Kenzo? The first Ugandan to receive a Grammy nomination

“Traditionally, when we go for runs we’re in our PT gear, which is … shorts, T-shirts and sweatshirts. I don’t know that for sure. But that’s a typical outfit that we would wear during our PT,” she said.