24 Cars Struck by 2 Drivers

Two out-of-control drivers struck a total of 24 cars in separate Los Angeles incidents Christmas night, police said Thursday.

Just before midnight, a driver zigzagged down Normandie Avenue, crashing into 10 cars, most of them parked, police said. He turned east on Beverly Boulevard and was finally stopped at Kenmore Avenue, where patrol officers who had heard the last of the collisions from a few blocks away caught up with the careening car.

Sgt. Bill Urrutia of the Central Traffic Division said the driver probably caused hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage.

He was so drunk he hit cars “and continued on. He probably would’ve kept going,” Urrutia said. “His car is totaled.”

Police said the driver was booked on suspicion of felony drunk driving. They would not release his name.

Earlier in the night, a driver hit a parked car at Franklin Avenue and Vista Street in Hollywood before turning south on Vista and nicking 13 more parked cars. He told authorities one of his tires had blown out.

“It’s still hard for me to believe that even with a blown-out tire you hit 14 cars,” said Sgt. Russ Kilby of the West Traffic Division.

Police said the 66-year-old driver finally came to a stop when his car became disabled. He was treated at a hospital for minor injuries. There was no indication of criminal intent or drunk driving, Kilby said, but police may seek the revocation of the man’s driver’s license.

On Thursday, glass from car windows was strewn along Normandie, where a few men were tending to their gnarled cars.

“He just came up from behind and slammed into me,” said Andres Rivera, 46, who had been driving home with his two children after a movie. “I didn’t see him at all. He just took off.”