A downtown Los Angeles driver said he is recovering from his injuries after he was run over by a group of teenagers on bicycles in an attack that was partially caught on video.
Video of The Aug. 2 attack was shared with KTLA and shows a group of people on bicycles riding around cars downtown and also stomping on a vehicle’s windshield.
Shailoobek Bazarbai Uulu said he was attacked when stopped at a red light at the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Hope Street after he tried to pass the teenagers in his car and one of them threw a water bottle in response.
“I was a little confused. I crossed the intersection, stopped and got out of the car to find out what happened,” he said in a GoFundMe post seeking help to cover his medical expenses.
When he got out of the car, Uulu said he was surrounded. He said he ran away but a small group gave chase while others ransacked and vandalized his vehicle. When he went back to his car to try to stop them, he was also attacked, Uulu told KTLA.
He says he fell to the ground and was kicked and punched.
“Suddenly someone pulled me out of the crowd, hugged me and took me aside. It was a young lady and she literally saved my life,” Uulu said.
He said he didn’t realize it at the time, but he was badly cut and bruised and had a broken leg. His GoFundMe will help cover the cost of the surgery and his stolen possessions which include his money, wallet, phones and other effects.
While it’s unclear how many people were involved in the attack, Los Angeles police confirmed they received reports of a group fight that day around 6:30 p.m., said Officer Drake Madison. The number of people involved in the fight changed repeatedly during the many calls LAPD received, Madison said, but the final estimate was between 20 and 30 teenagers who were last seen heading toward LA Live, according to police.