Man died after being attacked by passers-by while driving his car on a sidewalk in an attempt to hit pedestrians

The driver was involved in a verbal altercation around midnight inside a business in Hawthorne, after which he was asked to leave, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) said in a press release. Hawthorne is approximately 15 miles from Los Angeles.

The man left but returned and drove his truck onto the sidewalk, nearly hitting several people, the statement said. He eventually lost control of his car and hit a tree.

Passers-by then tried to pull the man out of his truck, but he was able to accelerate before crashing into a building. Passers-by then pulled him out of the car and a “physical altercation ensued,” the statement said.

“Hawthorne police saw the driver lying on the ground, suffering from what appeared to be blunt trauma,” LASD said. “Paramedics provided rescue measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.”