A popular eatery in the Inland Empire turned violent over the weekend after a car slammed into several street vendors.
For several years, dozens of street vendors have been lining up in the evenings along what is known as “Taco Row,” the sidewalk of Highland Avenue, drawing in large crowds.
“It’s really popular,” Ralph Ortega, who lives in San Bernardino, told NBC Los Angeles. “A lot of people come from around the area. They come to eat, and it’s really good food.”
On Saturday, authorities say a 77-year-old man in a Toyota Corolla crashed into a parked Tacoma on Highland Avenue near Rockford Avenue around 1:30 a.m. as dozens of people were enjoying their late night food.
Many of the victims were rushed to the hospital in serious conditions. Police say no arrests were made.
Video from the scene shows several pieces of cooking equipment destroyed and food scattered across the street after the crash.
“There are so many lights, so I don’t see how this could happen,” San Bernardino resident Anthony Walthoey said. “You see cars parked there, and they run over to get their food and leave.”
Walthoey says businesses get busy when major events in the area happen and that people sometimes dash out of their car while they move along with traffic due to the lack of parking.
“It is dangerous,” Ortega said.
Many are now questioning the logistics of the operations, saying there’s growing fears about how safe the area is for vendors and their customers.
“You have to have parking. If you don’t have parking, you don’t have customers,” Ortega said. “They can relocate from there to make it safer for the pedestrians.”
NBCLA reached out to several of the street vendors but did not hear back. The station also reached out to the city about any plans to address these concerns.