Driver slams into 8 Anaheim High runners -- a 'nightmare scenario,' says one SoCal track coach

Clara Harter and Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times on Dec 10, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Eight students on the Anaheim High School track team have been transported to a hospital after a man plowed into the group while they were on a practice run, authorities said.

The car veered off the road and hit the students while they were waiting for a light to change at the southwestern corner of Harbor Boulevard and North Street in Anaheim around 2:55 p.m. Wednesday, according to Anaheim Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Matt Sutter.

Three students were transported immediately, while five others were transported after initial treatment at the scene, Sutter said.

A coach for the team told ABC7 News that one of the athletes was in critical condition. The students injured ranged from freshmen to seniors, the station reported.

The driver is identified only as a 27-year-old Anaheim man. He is under investigation for driving under the influence, but no arrest has been made. He was also injured in the collision and transported to a hospital, Sutter said.

Harbor Boulevard and North Street were shut down after the incident while police continued the investigation. School resource officers were at the scene, and parents who had concerns about their students were advised to contact the school or Anaheim Police, he said.

Video of the incident captured by OnScene.TV showed multiple students lying on the ground and bleeding near where an orange sedan had driven up the sidewalk and smashed into a low brick wall.

A surveillance camera recording from a local business shows the car driving down Harbor Boulevard before veering right and jumping the curb.

It is routine for high school distance runners to practice in neighborhoods around campuses, typically escorted by at least one adult to look out for dangers. But it can become dangerous when a pedestrian or driver loses concentration.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame track coach Joe McNab said collisions during practice are every running coach’s “nightmare scenario.”

In 2010, a 16-year-old Notre Dame distance runner, Conor Lynch, was struck by an SUV and killed near the school while trying to cross Woodman Avenue. Police said they believed Lynch might have been trying to catch up with a pack of runners when he was struck.

Monroe high school track coach Leo Hernandez in North Hills said one of his cross-country runners was struck by a car in 2009. The runner survived. The driver was suspected of driving under the influence.

Hernandez still sends athletes out for practice runs with an adult runner supervising. With many runners needing to get 45 to 60 miles a week in preparation for competitions, they must train outside the school tracks, he said.

_____