Driver Plows Car into Crowd; Kills 1, Injures 11 at Venice Beach Boardwalk

(AP) LOS ANGELES — One person has died and 11 others have been injured after a car drove into a crowd of people walking along the famed Venice Beach boardwalk early Saturday evening before the driver fled the busy Los Angeles tourist site.A Los Angeles Police spokesman said late Saturday that one person had been detained for questioning in nearby Santa Monica, though it was not immediately clear if the person detained was the driver. Police were looking for a dark-colored Dodge Charger or Avenger. The driver was a man described as having sandy blond hair and estimated to be in his mid-20s, authorities said.Multiple witnesses reported that the driver appeared to be “moving purposefully” and in control of the car as it plowed through the crowd, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said. The car was still moving as it drove out of sight of firefighters and the people who were hit.Firefighters were surveying the sprawling crowd looking for injured, Humphrey said.Initially, twelve injured had been counted, with 10 of them hospitalized. Two of the 10 were hurt seriously and two critically, Humphrey said. He had no details on the identities of the victims or their injuries. The deceased victim died at a local hospital hours after the crash.The Venice boardwalk is a cultural hub in a part of Los Angeles known for its eccentricities. It is home to galleries, restaurants, tattoo shops, skateboard parks and the famous outdoor weight room known as Muscle Beach.