After a suspected DUI crash killed three women near a Metro station, Los Angeles faces questions about whether its sidewalk vending rules do enough to protect people working beside traffic.
Three women who earned their living selling food near the North Hollywood Metro station were killed Tuesday evening when a minivan veered off the road and struck people on the sidewalk.
The November 10 tragedy has devastated families and neighbors who knew the women as familiar faces in their daily routines.
It has also raised a question for Los Angeles: Who is responsible for protecting street vendors from the dangers of moving traffic?
For many immigrant families, street vending is more than a small business. It provides income, supports children and offers a path toward economic independence.
But the sidewalks where vendors earn their living can also expose them to traffic hazards.
Three Women Remembered by Their Community
Two victims have been identified as Teodora “Doris” Villalobos, 57, a mother of three, and Maria Peck, 73, a mother of five. The third woman’s identity had not been publicly confirmed in the latest reviewed reports.
Villalobos was remembered for feeding people who could not afford food.
Near Lankershim and Chandler boulevards, residents placed flowers, candles and photographs in memory of the women.
Their food stands were more than places to buy something to eat. They were part of the neighborhood’s daily life.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the crash occurred shortly before 6 p.m. when a white Toyota Sienna traveling southbound on Lankershim Boulevard at an unsafe speed left the roadway and struck pedestrians and vendors.
Police arrested the driver, 61-year-old Ihor Demianenko, on suspicion of driving under the influence and three counts of murder. His bail was set at approximately $6 million.
Two other women were critically injured.
The allegations remain subject to criminal proceedings.
What Does Los Angeles Require to Keep Vendors Safe?
Los Angeles regulates sidewalk vending through its Bureau of Street Services.
Vendors must comply with applicable permit requirements, while food sellers also face county public health rules.
The city’s published regulations establish minimum distances between vending equipment and curbs, fire hydrants, streetlights and other infrastructure.
They also require pedestrian passage and prohibit vending in roadways, medians and bicycle lanes.
These rules help manage crowded public spaces.
But they address a different problem from a vehicle leaving the street and striking someone working on the sidewalk.
A vending permit does not guarantee protection from a traffic collision.
For entrepreneurs whose workplaces are sidewalks and street corners, that distinction matters.
Could Los Angeles Provide More Protection?
The crash occurred near a major Metro transportation hub, where commuters, pedestrians and vendors share busy public spaces.
Following the tragedy, Metro board member Imelda Padilla called attention to the need for designated spaces that could better protect vendors.
The city could examine whether heavily used vending locations need additional safeguards, including physical separation from traffic, safer pedestrian areas or designated vending spaces.
However, determining what would work at Lankershim and Chandler requires examining the intersection’s existing infrastructure, traffic patterns and collision history.
It would be premature to conclude that any particular measure would have prevented this crash.
The broader question is whether city transportation officials, StreetsLA and Metro should coordinate more closely when vending activity develops around busy transit stations.
Los Angeles officials have not yet established, in the reporting reviewed for this article, a new safety program specifically responding to this collision.
Street Vendors Are Workers, Not Just Permit Holders
Street vending has long been part of Los Angeles neighborhood life.
Food stands provide affordable meals and convenient services while creating economic opportunities for entrepreneurs who may lack the resources to open storefront businesses.
Many vendors work long hours outdoors, sometimes alongside heavily traveled streets.
Their businesses also create relationships with customers and neighbors. Parriva has previously reported on the safety concerns facing street vendors in Los Angeles.
The North Hollywood deaths demonstrate another dimension of those concerns: exposure to vehicles in public spaces.
For families dependent on daily vending income, losing a loved one can also mean losing essential household earnings.
Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, whose district includes the crash location, announced an effort with a community organization to raise money for the affected families.
But immediate assistance and long-term prevention are separate responsibilities.
Who Will Examine the Intersection?
Several questions now deserve answers from city officials:
- Will Los Angeles conduct a safety assessment of the Lankershim and Chandler intersection?
- Are existing pedestrian protections adequate near major transit stations?
- Who determines whether designated vending areas could reduce exposure to traffic?
- Will vendors and neighborhood residents participate in decisions about possible changes?
Those questions do not presume that the city caused the collision or that additional infrastructure would necessarily have prevented it.
They concern what government can learn from a tragedy and whether practical improvements are possible.
For the families of Villalobos, Peck and the third woman, the immediate reality is grief.
For Los Angeles, the longer-term challenge is ensuring that the people who serve its neighborhoods are included in conversations about street safety.
Street vendors should not be considered only when the city discusses permits and enforcement. Their safety deserves attention, too.
