Five patients were taken to a trauma center this afternoon -- at least four of them initially listed in serious to critical condition -- after an SUV with an allegedly drunk driver behind the wheel crashed into a storefront on Hollywood Boulevard, authorities said.
The vehicle struck a group of pedestrians on the sidewalk as it crashed into the front of the Highland Market at 6818 Hollywood Blvd. near California's iconic El Capitan Theatre, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported.
One person at the scene declined to be taken to a hospital, according to the LAFD.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
LAPD later updated that only one of the five victims was considered critical.
A 6th patient was transported to a nearby hospital in LAPD custody.
Two Fox11 crew members were among those injured. According to the station, a Fox11 reporter and a photographer were in the neighborhood to cover the reopening of the El Capitan at 6838 Hollywood Blvd.
It was reported that the reporter was veteran broadcast journalist Hal Eisner, and that all the hospitalized patients are expected to survive.
They also reported that the driver was unhurt, and that he told authorities he fell asleep at the wheel. He was subsequently taken to a hospital to be checked out and DUI tested.
The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that the motorist, who was not immediately identified, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Hollywood Boulevard was shut down at Highland Avenue for the crash investigation and cleanup.
