Tow truck driver crashes, hits at least 8 vehicles parked on street near downtown LA, police say

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A tow truck driver crashed into multiple vehicles parked on a street near downtown Los Angeles Friday, sending two people to the hospital, police say.

It happened around 2:40 a.m. near Washington Boulevard and Griffith Avenue, just south of the 10 Freeway.

Police say a tow truck and two other vehicles - a red Prius and a silver Prius - collided, causing the tow truck to hit eight parked cars.

"As far as our investigation shows right now, the tow truck was going northbound on Griffith through the intersection [of] Washington and collided with a red Prius ... we believe that caused them to overturn," said an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department's traffic division who spoke with reporters on the scene. "The silver car, we aren't sure what direction it was going but believe they were going east or westbound on Washington."

That's when the tow truck crashed into multiple parked vehicles, he said. Two people - the driver of the tow truck and the driver of the silver Prius - were rushed to the hospital in an unknown condition.

Video obtained by Eyewitness News shows the crash, which shows the tow truck plowing through the parked cars before overturning and landing on its side. The truck was left mangled in the street. There was also a downed power line in the area.

A witness said the crash sounded "kind of like an explosion."

"I got out of my house because we thought the car was going to go like on fire and explode. It was just so scary," she said.

It's unclear if speed or alcohol played a role in the crash.

This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.