An internet-famous family of 10 were left injured after being involved in a terrifying hit-and-run car crash in California, police said.
The Lafond family, known as the ‘House of Lafond’ on social media, were on their way to get sushi tacos in their 12-passenger van on Monday afternoon when another car slammed into them on the 170 Freeway in North Hollywood.
The vehicle hit the Los Angeles-based family with such force that their van started ‘spinning’ on the busy road, Johnetta Lafond told KABC.
Their van then crashed into the median before Johnetta, and her, husband Hashim Lafond, called 911.
The other driver, who has not been identified, fled the scene after ramming into their van, investigators said.
No one in the family was seriously injured, but they were left sore after the crash. All of them were wearing their seatbelts.
Aerial footage captured first responders tending to the family after the accident, and pictures showed the van’s windows shattered from the collision.
‘I saw the car in the rearview mirror at full speed,’ Hashim recalled, adding a bit of lightheartedness to the scary situation, stating: ‘I really just wanted to get some sushi tacos.’
The Lafond family, who are popular on social media, were involved in a terrifying hit-and-run crash on Monday afternoon in North Hollywood
The other vehicle hit the Los Angeles-based family’s 12-passenger van with such force that the family’s van started ‘spinning’ on the busy road, Johnetta Lafond recalled
Firefighters are seen carrying the couple’s youngest baby in her baby seat after the crash on the busy road
His wife described the moment the collision occurred, telling the outlet: ‘All of a sudden, I hear and feel a boom, and then we just start spinning.
‘And we have a 12-passenger van. That’s not something small to be spinning around in.’
Hashim said he was also worried about how other drivers were going to react to the sudden crash.
‘Imagine you’re sitting there and all the cars are just coming toward you, swerving,’ the father said.
He added: ‘I had a thought of, “Did I survive that? I’m pinching myself like, is this real?”.’
The couple’s youngest and eighth child, Yirah, was born on March 14, according to a birth announcement the family shared to their nearly 500,000 followers on TikTok.
They document their everyday lives as a large family on social media and have also been featured on Good Morning America and The Steve Harvey Show, among others.
The influencer family has also modeled for an array of brands and companies, including Target, Nike, Delta Airlines, Levi’s, Gymboree, and more, according to their website.
The family is beyond grateful that they all made it out alive, but don’t understand why someone would hit them and flee the scene. Johnetta is seen alongside her husband, Hashim, as she carries their youngest child, Yirah, who was born on March 14
The van’s windows were left shattered from the collision
The family is beyond grateful that they all made it out alive, but don’t understand why someone would do this.
‘You couldn’t check on us to make sure we were OK?,’ Johnetta asked.
The family’s van was unfortunately totaled in the crash and had to be towed away.
They are now working with insurance to figure out how they are going to get around without it.
Despite the scary moment, some of the children still went to dance class that evening.
The family’s van was unfortunately totaled in the crash and had to be towed away
‘I was thinking, like, “Should I go?” Cause my neck hurt really bad, Anaiah Lanfond, 11, said. ‘It hurt to turn it.’
The crash remains under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
The consequence for a hit-and-run in California depends on the result of the collision, but leaving the scene of a crash is still a criminal offense regardless of who was at fault.
The Daily Mail contacted the California Highway Patrol for comment.
