Crimeupdated 12m ago2 min read
Archive photo · 23 November 2014Ihor Demianenko Arrested on DUI and Three Murder Counts After North Hollywood Metro Crash
“investigators determined was under the influence”
“Authorities have not established that drugs or alcohol played a role”
Photo: Junkyardsparkle, CC0 · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Ihor Demianenko, 61, of Valley Village, arrested on suspicion of DUI. Minivan crashed onto the sidewalk near North Hollywood Metro Station, killing three women.
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Arrest after NoHo crash
Ihor Demianenko, 61, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and three counts of murder after a minivan crash outside the North Hollywood Metro station killed three women and hurt two others.
The Los Angeles Police Department said the crash happened just before 6 p.m. Tuesday near the station on North Lankershim Boulevard near Chandler Boulevard, and the LAPD said Demianenko was going southbound at an "unsafe speed" when he veered off the road and hit pedestrians and food vendors on the sidewalk.
The LAPD said Demianenko was trapped in the car and had to be extricated, and the driver was hospitalized with minor injuries before being arrested on felony DUI.
The Los Angeles Fire Department pronounced three women dead at the scene, and NBC News said two other women were in critical condition before an update said Demianenko’s injuries were minor.
The crash left the minivan under a food vendor’s tent with debris scattered over the area, and the LAPD said the driver was able to talk but appeared to be in shock after the crash.
Names, injuries, and quotes
Family members identified 73-year-old Maria Peck, and the medical examiner’s office said 57-year-old Tedora Villalobos also lost her life. Azucena Melissa Villalobos, 19, said of her mother Teodora Villalobos, "God, God is the one who gives me strength," and she described her last call to her mother around 12:30. Joseph Portillo told Eyewitness News, "The fact that they're no longer here with us is very sad, you know," as commuters shared grief at a memorial at the scene.
Mayor Karen Bass said, "I’m heartbroken for the families of everyone impacted," and Mayor-elect Nithya Raman said the community was shaken by the tragedy. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said investigators would conduct a "prolonged but a very deliberate investigation" and would review video frame by frame to determine what happened.
Charges, bail, and what’s next
Police said Demianenko was being held on more than $6 million bail, and Fox News said his bail was set at $6.03 million.
The Los Angeles Police Department said Demianenko was booked early Wednesday and that investigators were examining whether the driver was impaired, while KTLA said authorities had not established that drugs or alcohol played a role.
LAPD Capt. Warner Castillo told reporters, "We don’t know if it was done intentionally, if it was done by accident," and he said investigators were examining whether the driver was impaired.
The Independent said investigators would go through video footage of the crash frame by frame, and the LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said investigators would run the video in slow motion and take it frame-by-frame.
The investigation remained ongoing as authorities closed portions of Lankershim and Chandler boulevards and detectives from the LAPD Valley Traffic Division continued to review recovered street surveillance footage.