Early yesterday morning turned chaotic on the U Street corridor when a driver lost control of his vehicle and plowed into multiple pedestrians, resulting in a variety of injuries. The Metropolitan Police Department reported that at approximately 1:15 a.m., an eastbound vehicle created a trail of destruction on U Street near 11th Street, Northwest, ultimately injuring several people.

The immediate aftermath was witnessed by Third District officers, who were at the scene within moments and alongside DC Fire and EMS began rendering aid to the victims—one adult male was struck directly by the 2016 Audi A5 and was subsequently hospitalized with serious injuries, however, thankfully, these injuries were determined to be non-life-threatening, and four additional adult males also received medical attention at hospitals for minor injuries, while two adult males were treated right there on the side of the road.

During the tumultuous incident, the vehicle in question not only hit a pedestrian but also slammed into a utility pole and a metal trash can, the latter of which, the impact caused injuries to further pedestrians; the driver, identified as 31-year-old Eric Lyons of Northwest, DC, remained at the scene and was later arrested by officials. Authorities disclosed that Lyons has been charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) and Reckless Driving.

The investigation is ongoing, but initial findings suggest the tragic occurrence was a direct result of reckless driving leading to Lyons losing control of the vehicle.