VIDEO: Several recruits with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department were injured when an SUV hit a group of runners near a sheriff's training academy in the Whittier area. The driver was detained.
The car crashed into a group of 75 cadets running. According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, 25 recruits were injured in the crash. All victims were taken to multiple hospitals in the area.
The driver was described as a 22-year-old Hispanic man from Diamond Bar by the California Highway Patrol.
"Tragedy struck our department," said Sheriff Alex Villanueva during a news conference Wednesday.
Five people were in critical condition, four suffered "moderate" injuries, and 14 suffered minor injuries, firefighters reported.
The crash was reported at about 6:30 a.m. near Mills Avenue and Trumball Street.