SAN DIEGO (AP) – A driver crossed a homeless camp on the sidewalk in downtown San Diego on Monday, killing three people and injuring six more, authorities said.
Craig Voss, 71, was driving through a tunnel under a community college campus when he drove his Volvo station car onto the sidewalk shortly after 9 a.m., the police chief said. of San Diego, David Nisleit.
Voss was arrested at the scene. He faces three counts of vehicle murder, five counts of causing grievous bodily harm and one count of DUI, Nisleit said, adding that Voss took a field sobriety test by a reconnaissance expert. of drugs. He did not elaborate or identify whether Voss was under the influence of alcohol or other substances. He said additional charges may come.
It was not immediately known if Voss had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.
The fatal crash highlights the risks inherent in the homeless population in California, where its tents and tarpaulins not only mark downtown sidewalks, but are near ramps where cars accelerate as they enter highways. .
More than 150,000 people are homeless across the state. The number has risen during the coronavirus pandemic that has endangered the economy.
Mayor Todd Gloria said most, if not all, of the nine people hit were homeless.
“They were there because they felt they had nowhere else to go,” Gloria said. “This morning’s accident doesn’t have to be so devastating. Let me state it very clearly, a street is not a home. “
Three people died at the scene. Five of the other six injured were taken to hospitals. Two were in critical condition. San Diego Fire Chief Colin Stowell said they were both “awake, alert and answering questions.”
The mayor, who took office in December, said the camp had been there for a while and that more people could have been attracted to the tunnel under the San Diego City College campus because the cement overpass provided coverage on a rainy day.
A typical weekday morning is a crowded area with students passing by, but classes have been online during the coronavirus pandemic.
Gloria said the city must act now to fix the homelessness problem and that it started by offering shelter on Monday to the other homeless people who were in the tunnel and escaped from the wounds. A handful accepted. The city also sent mental health professionals to help them.
“We want to make sure they don’t die in vain,” Gloria said of the murders.
But he added that the city is facing a shortage of beds in its shelters and pledged to talk to state and federal officials for more help, and considered the current situation “unacceptable.”
“It is neither human nor safe to continue to allow our homeless neighbors to sleep under bridges, in alleys or in canyons,” he said.
Lisa Brotzman said she was looking out a window of her tent just as the car swerved to her right shoulder, “got out of control” and jumped onto the sidewalk of the tunnel where people were waiting for the rain.
“Someone was yelling,‘ Ahhh! Ahhhh! Brotzman told The San Diego Union-Tribune. “Two or three people were shouting and shouting. He did it for “.
The driver got out of his car and tried to help people before identifying himself in front of police, Nisleit said.
“He was cooperative (and) didn’t try to flee,” the chief said, correcting previous police reports that he had tried to flee.
Ambulances, five fire engines, a helicopter and more than 60 lifeguards responded to the scene.
“Our crews obviously encountered a tragic incident under the bridge,” the fire chief said.