LOS ANGELES — The driver of a U-Haul truck who plowed into a crowd of protesters said he had “no intention to hit anybody,” according to a statement he gave after the incident.
“I was really afraid for my life,” Calor Madanescht told Fox 11, saying that video shows a police officer waving him through.
After angry demonstrators descended on his truck, he said some in the crowd helped clear a path so he could continue on.
“They were telling me, ‘Go, go,’ and they opened the path, as you see in the video,” he told Fox 11.
Anti-Iran regime protesters in Westwood were marching in solidarity with demonstrators in Tehran on Sunday when the truck bearing a sign reading, “No Shah. No Regime. USA: Don’t Repeat 1953. No Mullah,” drove through a crowd of hundreds, injuring two people.
Madanescht was arrested and charged with reckless driving and later released on his own recognizance.
He said videos of the incident have misrepresented his actions.
“All I want is peace and human rights for everyone in Iran and for minorities,” he said, adding that he defended himself after allegedly being stabbed.
A protester interviewed by Fox 11 said he supported Madanescht’s version of events, adding that he witnessed the driver being beaten by the crowd.
“They kept punching him, hitting him,” Mehdi said. “They broke the window, kicked the truck, assaulted him, and he has a right to free speech.”
Another protester expressed skepticism, questioning how such a large truck was allowed by police onto a street packed with hundreds of demonstrators.
Madanescht has maintained his innocence and said he may fight the misdemeanor charge. The case remains under review by the Los Angeles Police Department.
“The reality is I peacefully came, cooperated with LAPD, and I’m deeply grateful for them,” he told Fox 11. “They deserve the highest praise for putting their lives on the line to save mine.”
