Morgan Davis, who has her legs wrapped in bandages from the knees down, said she was helping out some friends at The Fish Spot restaurant at the corner of Redondo and Pico boulevards on Sunday when she heard a loud noise.
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"Everybody tried to run, but it came too fast. We all heard the tires screech and we all look and just see the van just come up the curb and drive into everybody," she said.
The driver of the white van blew through a red light, clipped another car and slammed into the people on the patio, including Davis.
"As soon as I got hit, I hurried up and tried to get away from the car because it was smoking. There were people yelling, stuff on the floor, people crying and yelling," she said. "I had a whole bunch of cuts open, my pants were all scratched, my shoes were off."
She fractured her foot and has deep gashes on her legs. But she said she is grateful her injuries aren't worse. She was one of eight people taken to the hospital, and a 44-year-old man is in critical condition.
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The 911 audio from the scene was released during the chaotic moments of the crash. In the audio, dispatch reports the driver was chased down by citizens and held at the location for police.
The driver, identified as 38-year-old Peter Goode, was arrested on suspicion of felony hit-and-run. Davis said she wants to give the driver the benefit of the doubt that the crash was an accident.
"He could have been sick," she said.
The owners of The Fish Spot had surveillance video of the crash, but do not want the public to see it out of respect for the victims.
The crash remains under investigation.