He said all of them were elderly and were holding a group bible study when the auto hit the house.
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Any other evening, there would not have been 11 people gathered in the living room of Lydia Russell’s home on Orchard Avenue at 8 p.m. MORE: 1 killed, 9 hurt when auto crashes into Harbor Gateway prayer meetingBut she was a devoted member of the Maria Regina Catholic Church in Gardena and it was her turn to host the Radiant Hearts Prayer Group.
Footage from a KABC Los Angeles news helicopter showed a red sedan nearly completely inside the Harbor Gateway home, where it apparently came to a stop.
Charry Madduma, who saw the vehicle speeding through the neighborhood, said it “went airborne” and struck a real estate sign after jumping a curb.
Police said the female driver fled the scene, leaving behind a auto with no license plates and no identification inside.
Angie Villanueva, one of 11 people attending the prayer meeting, said she thought a bomb had gone off.
Numerous victims were trapped by the auto, and neighbors tried to lift it off them before firefighters arrived. The worshipers ranged in age from their 40s to their 80s.
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At least five of the victims suffered serious injury, according to Brian Humphrey, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman.
