A wild scene played out on the Venice Pier overnight when a woman drove her personal vehicle onto the narrow walkway, sending fishermen, families, and late-night strollers scrambling for safety. Cell phone video captured by a bystander shows the car speeding down the pier as people yell and dive out of the way, a moment that’s about as far from a relaxing evening by the water as it gets.
According to the LAPD, the driver hit a cyclist while on the pier before officers even arrived. Thankfully, that person walked away unhurt, which is close to a small miracle considering how tight that space is. For anyone who’s never been out to the Venice Pier, it’s built for foot traffic and the occasional maintenance cart, not a full-size sedan doing donuts near the bait shop.
One witness, Daniel Lopez, told NBC4 he was fishing with his son when the chaos began, and that he had to dodge the car twice while trying to get his kid to safety. He described the scene as extremely traumatizing, which is understandable when you consider how few actual refuge spots exist along that stretch of pier. A water fountain alcove became an impromptu safe zone for a crowd of strangers just trying not to get hit.
Once the driver left the pier, things didn’t calm down. Police say she took off and led officers on a chase through the area, striking LAPD units along the way before finally being taken into custody near Villa Marina and Pacific Avenue in Marina del Rey. She’s expected to face charges including assault with a deadly weapon and DUI.
A Blood Alcohol Level That Raises Eyebrows
NBC4 Investigates learned the driver’s blood alcohol content was reportedly twice the legal limit at the time of the incident. That’s the kind of number that explains a lot about how someone ends up navigating a pier like it’s a parking lot, but it doesn’t make the situation any less alarming for everyone who was there.
Two officers were also hurt during the arrest, one during a PIT maneuver and another while breaking through the driver’s window. Their conditions weren’t immediately available.
A Pier That’s Not Built for This
Reporters on scene noted just how narrow the pier entrance actually is, roughly car-width, which made the whole ordeal even more nerve-wracking for anyone who was down there.
It’s a spot most of us associate with sunset walks and reeling in the occasional halibut, not evading a vehicle at speed.
The Video Says It All
Stories like this are a reminder that even the most low-key corners of car culture, like a Sunday drive or a night of fishing, can get upended fast when impaired driving enters the picture. No exaggeration needed here: the video speaks for itself, and it’s genuinely good news that nobody on foot was seriously hurt.
However, residents are still angry. One comment read: “Take away her license forever, tired of stories like this with people using cars as battering rams.”
Here’s hoping both officers recover quickly, and that this pier gets back to its usual business of catching fish, not cars.