A protest in California ended regrettably when a woman was run over by a driver in a black SUV. The incident took place around 9:40 p.m. on Saturday, June 14, in downtown Riverside. A clip posted on Reddit captured moments before and after the unfortunate incident occurred. A large crowd of protesters was seen rushing towards cars that stopped at the traffic light at the intersection between University Avenue and Orange Street.
They gathered around a particular black car, and one man was captured hitting the taillight of the vehicle, while another slammed into the car with his body.
Angered by the protesters’ actions, the car sharply swerved to the side and into the crowd. The car veered again before driving off, running over a woman in the process. Horrified at the scene, shouts broke out among the crowd, and one woman could be heard screaming, “Oh my god!” Several people were also captured rushing towards the woman to provide aid.
The victim, still unnamed, was identified as a 21-year-old woman who was protesting alongside others in the crowd during the “No Kings Protest.”. According to KTLA local news, she was transported to the hospital and is still undergoing treatment for significant injuries. The Riverside Police Department is also involved in the case and is treating it as a hit-and-run felony.
After the clip went viral, several users online reacted to the incident. Some supported the driver’s actions, saying they must have been angered into running over the protester. On the other hand, others condemned the driver.
One user who defended the driver wrote, “Actions have consequences. Choose them wisely.” Another replied, “If you can hear the smash from that far back, I don’t blame the car for driving off.”
A user suggested that the two protesters who hit the driver’s car should be found because they are “part of the incident and the reason he took off.” Still in the driver’s defense, one user wrote, “That is not a peaceful protest. Idiots who stand in the road and block traffic get exactly what they deserve.”
In the other half of the comment section, one user condemned the driver. The user wrote, “Maybe the vehicle did something prior to that, which is why the video starts with people going up to the vehicle. Critical thinking people.” Another user pointed out that when the car drove into the crowd of people, it appeared to be on purpose because the car took a turn that was “wider than necessary.”
Yet another user commented, “The driver hit someone, didn’t stop, and didn’t contact the police afterwards. You can argue you had to drive away, but you should still immediately call 911 for the person you ran over and explain to the police why you didn’t stop.”
Notably, the suspect is yet to be identified or arrested. However, Riverside Police have encouraged anyone with information about the suspect to come forward.
