A gas station is supposed to be one of the most routine stops a person makes. You pull in, fuel up, and leave. Nobody expects it to become the opening scene of a police incident that spans two cities and leaves eight people hurt.
But that is what police say happened on the evening of June 16 in Culver City, California.
Surveillance footage released Monday by Culver City police shows a white sedan moving through the station as several people are struck. The car runs over the legs of a person near the exit from the fueling area, then appears to strike another person head-on near a nearby intersection. Two more people at the station were hit, including a motorcyclist near a gas pump.
The victims ranged in age from 15 to 70. All survived with injuries officials described as non-life-threatening, which is a small mercy given what the video appears to show.
The white sedan, authorities say, had been stolen in an armed carjacking earlier that day in downtown Los Angeles. Behind the wheel was Juan Luis Estrada, 45, of Perris, California. After the gas station incident, police pursued Estrada through city streets until he crashed into another vehicle in a McDonald’s drive-thru in downtown Los Angeles. He was taken into custody at the scene.
Surveillance Video Shows Chaotic Moments at Gas Station
The Charges Are About as Long as the Chase
Estrada was charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of carjacking, one count of felony evading a peace officer causing serious bodily injury, one count of battery on a peace officer, and three counts of felony hit-and-run.
Bond was set at $10.25 million.
Police Say the Driver Steered Toward Pedestrians
What separates this from a typical pursuit story is what police say officers observed. According to investigators, Estrada repeatedly steered toward pedestrians who were in or near the roadway during the incident.
That allegation helps explain why the case has moved far beyond hit-and-run charges. Prosecutors are treating the vehicle itself as the weapon.
A car in these circumstances stops being transportation and becomes something else entirely.
What the Footage Adds
Police had already shared basic details in the days following the incident. The release of the gas station surveillance video fills in part of what happened before the pursuit ended, and it is not easy to watch.
Anyone with additional video or information about the events of June 16 is asked to contact Culver City police at 310-253-6202.