Driver crashes into pedestrians on downtown Los Angeles sidewalk, 2 seriously injured

At least two people are in serious condition and five total are injured after a vehicle drove onto a sidewalk and crashed into a tree in downtown Los Angeles, according to authorities.

The Los Angeles Fire Department said the crash was reported around 12:39 p.m. at 535 E 8th Street, near Julian Street, near the Flower District.

A total of five people were hospitalized in the aftermath, with one individual suffering from an injury but declining transport to a hospital. The patients had varying degrees of injury, the LAFD said, but two were in at least serious condition.

Security video from outside of one of the businesses shows an SUV slamming into the large tree out front of two flower shops on 8th Street. 

"I thought a trailer tipped over or something," said an employee of Lupita's Flowers, who watched the crash happen. "I went running outside and there was a boy on the floor. His mom was screaming, there was blood."

None of the individuals' identities had been released as of Tuesday evening, but Allison Brown identified her husband as the driver. She said that he was on his way to drop off her lunch when he crashed. She said that he possibly suffered multiple broken bones in the collision.

"He was making a left turn on his way to see me, and that a car had cut him off and when he was trying to get away from the car he lost control of the vehicle," Brown said. "That's how he slammed into that tree."

Different security camera video shows the car veering off the road, but it doesn't appear that it was cut off by another vehicle.

The cause of the crash was still under investigation. No additional details were immediately made available.