25 LA County Sheriff's recruits struck by driver 'going the wrong-way' - USA TODAY

WHITTIER, Calif. — Five radical were critically injured after a operator "going the wrong-way" successful an SUV struck 25 Los Angeles County sheriff's and constabulary recruits who were connected a grooming tally Wednesday morning, authorities said. 

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said recruits assigned to its STAR Explore Training Academy were struck successful Whittier, astir 15 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, astir 6:30 a.m. PT. The Los Angeles County Fire Department said it was responding to a "mass casualty event." 

"They were running, doing their greeting grooming workout erstwhile this idiosyncratic ran into them," Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesperson Capt. Sheila Kelliher said astatine a quality conference. 

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said successful an update 5 radical were successful captious condition, 1 of which is connected a ventilator. Four radical suffered mean injuries and 16 of the recruits had insignificant injuries. All injured recruits were taken to adjacent hospitals. Some of the astir terrible injuries included caput trauma, breached bones and nonaccomplishment of limbs, helium added. 

"We're conscionable facing immoderate life-altering injuries for some astir severely injured recruits," Villanueva said. "This is this is very, precise odd, to accidental the least. I don't deliberation I've ever heard of this.

"It looked similar an airplane wreck. There were truthful galore bodies scattered everyplace successful antithetic states of wounded that it was beauteous traumatic for each individuals involved," helium added.

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The people had astir 75 people, with recruits for the constabulary departments of Bell, Glendale, Pasadena, El Segundo and UCLA, Villanueva added. Two of the injured recruits were from Bell, 2 from Glendale and 1 from Pasadena. The remaining injured were Los Angeles County Sheriff's recruits. 

Deputies got assistance from a adjacent region occurrence station, but besides instantly transported immoderate of the astir severely injured straight to hospitals, perchance redeeming their lives, said region Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone.

The driver, identified arsenic a 22-year-old antheral from Diamond Bar, suffered insignificant injuries and was besides taken to a section hospital. Authorities said the operator was detained "pending further investigation." 

Jennifer Garcia Tarara, 49, a Whittier nonmigratory who lives adjacent the country of the accident, walked to the area after being notified by a friend. Hours aft the crash, Tarara remained successful disbelief.

"It’s truly sad," Tarara told USA TODAY, adding that it was communal to spot recruits workout on the roadworthy nearby Howard J. McKibben Elementary School wherever the crashed SUV ended up. "Recruits that were getting acceptable to enactment their lives connected the enactment for america and thing similar this happens, it hits adjacent to home."

Anthony Mendoza, who besides lives nearby, told the Southern California News Group that the crash’s dependable woke him up and that crashes are communal connected the roadworthy wherever the collusion occurred.

“It happens present a lot,” Mendoza told the quality outlet. “During school, the velocity bounds is 25 miles per hour. But cars are going 60 to 80 miles per hr racing down the street. That’s the mode it is. I don’t understand.”

Villanueva said the operator was not intoxicated based connected the results of a tract sobriety test, and the origin of the clang is unknown. The conveyance was successful a southbound lane earlier crossing into a northbound lane, and immoderate recruits told responding authorities they estimated the conveyance was going astir 30 to 40 miles per hour. 

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department grooming bureau Capt. Pat MacDonald said two achromatic and achromatic vigor cars were serving arsenic information vehicles for the group, and 8 roadworthy guards wearing reflective vests were present. Villanueva said immoderate radical struck were successful the backmost of the formation and had "no chance" to avoid injuries earlier the conveyance deed a airy pole. 

"Thank God for that airy pole, due to the fact that the conveyance yet deed it and stopped arsenic opposed to perchance hitting much recruits," McDonald said. 

"Our hearts are with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s recruits injured this greeting portion grooming to service their communities," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said successful a statement. "Jennifer and I nonstop our champion wishes for their betterment and basal with their loved ones and colleagues astatine the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department during this hard time."

The California Highway Patrol is starring the clang investigation, Villanueva confirmed.  Assistant Chief Charlie Sampson of the California Highway Patrol said officials were looking astatine each possibilities, ranging from an intentional enactment to impaired driving.

Contributing: Associated Press 

Follow Jordan Mendoza connected Twitter: @jordan_mendoza5.