Fiat driver takes test drive and crashes into pot, sending concrete shrapnel into L.A. Auto Show crowd
Six people were hospitalized Monday after a man crashed into planter during a test drive and sent shards of concrete into a crowd outside the Los Angeles Auto Show in downtown Los Angeles, police said.
A total of eight people were evaluated after the crash outside the Los Angeles Convention Center. Six people, including the driver, were taken to area hospitals.
The injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
The accident occurred at 1:13 p.m. during a test drive in the 1200 block of South Figueroa Street.
At some point, the 24-year-old man drove onto the curb and crashed into the concrete pot, said Sgt. Jack Richter, a spokesman for Los Angeles Police Department.
The pot shattered, sending shards of concrete into people standing outside the auto show, he said.
The driver was possibly unlicensed, Richter said.
The Fire Department tweeted a photograph of the wrecked car showing extensive damage to the hood, engine and windshield. The small red car apparently was participating in the show.
The photograph shows a decal on the driver’s side door that reads, “Drive today! At the auto show.”
For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.
ALSO
‘Here I am above average’: Chinese ‘parachute kids’ are coming to the U.S. at younger ages
Rain triggers surge in Los Angeles County freeway crashes
UPDATES:
4 p.m.: This article was updated with police saying the driver took a test drive and crashed into a planter, which concrete shrapnel into the crowds.
This article was originally published at 1:55 p.m.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
