A high school track team in Anaheim, California, was mowed down during routine training in broad daylight by a suspected drunk driver on Wednesday.
As many as eight students from Anaheim High School were injured in the collision, with one victim’s father calling it “heartbreaking.”
“It’s heartbreaking. The first thing I did was call both of my boys to make sure they were all right. I know most likely they are going to know some of the students,” one father told KTLA.
The crash occurred on a busy street in Anaheim as the runners were waiting near a crosswalk “when a car swerved onto the sidewalk and slammed into them, according to a news release from the Anaheim Police Department,” per the New York Post.
The orange Toyota Corolla, was being driven by 27-year-old Anthony Alva-Palafox, who authorities claimed “displayed objective signs of intoxication” at the scene, police said.
Alva-Palafox and seven of the students were hospitalized and treated for varying injuries.
Traffic camera footage obtained by NBC Los Angeles showed the car cruising through a green light before drifting onto the crosswalk and slamming into the team. He barreled through them and collided with a low brick wall, which crumbled against the force of the vehicle.
Both boys and girls were hit in the crash, with ages ranging between 16 and 17; their coach suffered no injuries. California Rep. Lou Correa said in a post on X that “all of the students appear to be recovering, with one student still waiting for results of additional medical tests.”
“Our prayers are with the families,” he wrote.
Alva-Paladox has been arrested for allegedly driving under the influence of both alcohol and drugs.
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