A late-night street fight in Riverside turned deadly early Sunday when a driver slammed into a group of people in the middle of a brawl, killing one person and injuring three others, police said.
Officers rushed to the scene and detained a suspect, though that person had not been publicly identified as of Sunday morning. The Riverside Police Department said the investigation is still active as detectives work to piece together exactly what set off the chaos and led to the crash.
Riverside police told CBS Los Angeles that multiple 911 calls reported a large fight in the 3500 block of Franklin Street around 12:39 a.m. During that disturbance, a driver reportedly hit several people in the street.
According to the outlet, one victim was pronounced dead at the scene. Two others were rushed to Riverside Community Hospital in critical condition, and a fourth person was taken for treatment of injuries that authorities did not immediately describe. The suspect was detained at the scene, but it was not yet clear whether a formal arrest had been made.
Police Say Driver Acted Intentionally
Officers at the scene told investigators they concluded that “the suspect intentionally drove into the individuals,” the Riverside Police Department said, according to CBS Los Angeles.
Detectives have not released any possible motive and said more details would be shared as the case moves forward. In the meantime, investigators were canvassing the neighborhood, looking for witnesses, and trying to track down video that might show what happened in the seconds before the vehicle hit the crowd.
Regional Pattern Of Vehicle-Into-Crowd Incidents
The deadly Riverside collision comes as the broader region has grappled with other cases in which vehicles have struck groups of people. That includes an East Oakland crash earlier this month that killed three people and brought out a heavy police presence, according to reporting by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Those incidents have prompted some officials and community leaders to push for tougher traffic enforcement and closer scrutiny of collisions where cars appear to have been used as weapons.
Investigation Ongoing
Riverside police said they plan to release additional information as it becomes available and asked anyone who has video, photos, or other information to contact investigators.
For now, authorities say key questions about motive and potential criminal charges remain unanswered while detectives continue interviewing witnesses and reviewing evidence from the scene.
