8 injured as car plows into Southern California tribal hall during funeral

THERMAL, Calif. (AP) — A car plowed into a Southern California tribal hall during a funeral Thursday, sending eight people to the hospital, authorities said.

The accident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. at the tribal hall of the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, near the desert community of Thermal, KESQ-TV reported.

A funeral service was being held in the hall at the time of the crash, California Highway Patrol officers told the station.

One person had serious injuries, three others had moderate injuries and four had minor injuries, fire officials said. The driver was among those injured.

Video showed a gaping hole in the building and a photograph showed a sport utility vehicle with a wrecked front end smashed up against an interior wall of the building after apparently plowing all the way through the hall.

There was on immediate word on what caused the crash and other details were not immediately released.

Thermal is in the desert southeast of Palm Springs and about 135 miles (217 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles.