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3 killed, several injured after allegedly 'impaired' driver strikes pedestrians in San Diego
Image source: WNBC-TV video screenshot

3 killed, several injured after allegedly 'impaired' driver strikes pedestrians in San Diego

The 71-year-old suspect reportedly drove his vehicle onto a sidewalk

Three people are dead and another six injured after an allegedly "impaired" man drove his vehicle onto a sidewalk in downtown San Diego on Monday morning.

What are the details?

The tragedy occurred about 9 a.m. near San Diego City College where police say the suspect, a 71-year-old whose name has not been released, plowed into the victims under a bridge where homeless people have been known to seek shelter. He was driving a Volvo station wagon, and there were "tents and belongings" in the path of the vehicle when it took to the sidewalk, authorities said.

WNBC-TV reported that the deceased victims were declared dead at the scene, and two of the injured remain hospitalized in critical condition. The condition of the remaining four people who were struck by the vehicle are unknown.

San Diego Police Department Chief David Nisleit said that the driver tried to assist the victims and gave his name to police at the scene. Nisleit said the suspect "was detained and was being investigated 'for possibly driving while impaired,'" the New York Times reported.

According to the Daily Mail, "authorities initially said [the driver] had tried to flee."

Nisleit also noted that just minutes before the crash, the department received a radio call regarding a vehicle matching the description of the Volvo. The chief "said that call is part of the ongoing investigation and could not give specifics yet about what was reported in that call regarding the Volvo," WNBC reported.

One witness told the outlet that they saw the Volvo take out more than three tents lined up on the sidewalk. "I turned around and I saw yellow headlights and next thing you know, I was almost getting sucked under a car," Ronnie Williams recalled. "And then I managed to pull my leg out from under the car right here."

"It was quick, but it was slow," he added. "I could see everything, I could hear everything, I could feel everything. I could hear myself thinking to myself like, 'Do you want to die or not?'"

Another witness reported seeing the driver "right after the crash looking very distraught" and "said the driver walked away from the car and waited for police to arrive before being taken away in handcuffs," according to WNBC.

3 Killed After 71-Year-Old Man Drives Into Pedestrians In San Diego Tunnelwww.youtube.com

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