Eight people were injured, including two who were taken to a trauma center for treatment, officials said. (Renee Schiavone/Patch)
INGLEWOOD, CA — The investigation is continuing Sunday after a man involved in a dispute with an Inglewood car dealership drove his SUV into the showroom, injuring eight people, authorities said.
The crash occurred just after 2 p.m. Saturday at the CarMax dealership in the 8600 block of South La Cienega Boulevard, near Manchester Boulevard, Inglewood Police Department Lt. Cilia Islas told City News Service.
The customer was involved in a dispute at the dealership when he left the building, got into his SUV and drove through the doors, Islas said.
Video broadcast on television showed the man driving the SUV through the showroom while people inside try to get away.
The Los Angeles Times reported that one of its employees, who was shopping for a car at CarMax, saw the customer yelling at staff while they tried to calm him down. The man waved a metal water bottle, then ran outside and jumped on the roof of a car, according to The Times. The Times employee, whose name was not disclosed by the newspaper, left before the SUV was driven through the dealership.
Eight people were injured, including two who were taken to a trauma center for treatment, Islas said. All of the victims had stable vital signs four hours later.
The suspect fled but stopped at the Los Angeles Police Department's Ahmanson Recruit Training Center at 5651 W. Manchester Ave., about three- quarters of a mile west of the dealership, and was taken into custody, Islas said.
His name has not been released.
A CarMax statement noted: "\[Saturday\], a customer drove through our Inglewood, California store, hitting and injuring several associates and customers who are receiving care at the hospital at this time," officials said.
"The safety of our associates, community and customers is our top priority," the statement said. "We are deeply saddened by this event and our hearts go out to everyone impacted."
The company said it is working with authorities on the investigation.
_— City News Service_