A group of 22 cadets from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in California were injured Wednesday morning when they were hit by a car during training in the Whittier neighborhood, according to the local Fire Department.
The hit-and-run occurred at 6:30 a.m. in the 10600 block of Mills Avenue when they were jogging near their academy, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a statement.
The cadets are members of the STARS Explorer Academy.
A car runs over twenty cadets in Los Angeles. NBC Los Angeles
Five cadets are in critical condition;
four others suffer moderate injuries;
and 13 have minor injuries, according to firefighters.
The driver, who is 22 years old according to the NBC News affiliate, was also slightly injured.
He was detained pending an investigation to clarify the causes of the hit-and-run, according to the sheriff.
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"We don't have a cause," fire spokeswoman Sheila Kelliher said, "we don't have information on how the driver lost control."
The sheriff explained to the local ABC News station that the cadets usually run in formation through the streets, with highway guards and following a vehicle.
Video showed a badly damaged van near a downed utility pole that was also struck by the driver.
Green, yellow and red triage mats were placed in the street, indicating the severity of the injuries.
With information from The Associated Press news agency.