8 people injured after CarMax dealership customer drives through showroom
By Marissa Wenzke
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INGLEWOOD, California (KCAL/KCBS) — Two people were left critically injured and another six wounded after authorities say a customer at a CarMax dealership in Inglewood drove his SUV through the showroom Saturday.
Video shows people screaming and trying to move out of the way as the driver went through one end of the showroom and out the other around 2 p.m. He had gotten into some sort of dispute with the business and left the building before returning in his vehicle, according to Inglewood police. Shattered glass was left scattered around the floor of the dealership, located in the 8600 block of South La Cienega Boulevard, as CarMax released a statement saying the customer had gotten his vehicle appraised during his visit.
He had initially fled but was arrested soon after. His identity has not been released by authorities.
CarMax said the suspect hit and injured several employees and other customers. The LA County Fire Department confirmed two people were critically injured and another six left with minor wounds, with the injuries ranging from body aches to head injuries.
Mitchell Marshall, who witnessed the incident unfold, said he saw some people arguing and then saw the driver.
“So then he backed up, came this way, made a big U-turn and rammed it — not once but twice,” Marshall said. “It was totally unnecessary, whatever was going on in there.”
Another man at the scene, Sim Wang, said he saw the driver hit people inside the store and was almost struck himself.
“Suddenly, we heard shouting, glass cracking and then there’s the SUV running through the store — nearly just passed me by,” Wang said.
CarMax, a used vehicle retailer which buys and sells cars, said it was working with law enforcement to address the incident.
“We have a plan of action in place that we are currently implementing and we are working with the authorities on the investigation. We appreciate the authorities’ swift response to this terrible event,” the statement reads. “We are deeply saddened by this event and our hearts go out to everyone impacted.”
No other details have been released by law enforcement as the investigation continues.
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