A pedestrian was killed after she was struck by a car doing doughnuts during an illegal street takeover in Los Angeles.
Authorities say that the 24-year-old female victim was struck by the vehicle when it went off the road and crashed into a group of spectators.
More than 100 vehicles were involved in the Christmas night street takeover in the Hyde Park area of the city that saw fireworks set off and Christmas trees burned.
The victim has not been named by officials but was identified by her family as nursing student Elyzza Guajaca, according to KTLA.
She was transported to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead. A number of other onlookers were also injured.
“It seemed like the vehicle was just spinning and lost control right into a crowd. It was a very fast and violent manoeuvre,” said LAPD Lt. Ernie Berry. “This is our worst nightmare come true. We did not want something like this to happen. It could have been a big mass casualty event.:”
The driver in the incident fled the scene in the vehicle and is still being hunted for by the police.
A reward of up to $50,000 could be available for any information leading to the arrest of the driver, say police.
LAPD says that in the first six months of 2022 there were 705 illegal street shows in the city, compared to 500 in the same period last year.
