Search Continues For Driver Accused Of Plowing SUV Into South Los Angeles Church

SOUTH LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Police continue to search for the driver suspected of plowing an SUV into a South Los Angeles church early Friday morning.

The incident happened around 1:45 a.m. at New Pilgrim Baptist Church in the 8200 block of S. Main Street, police said.

"We've been here for decades. We made it through the Watts riots and other storms," Bishop Roy McKinley told KCAL9's Randy Paige. "This is going to be devastating to our congregation."

McKinley has served as bishop at the church since 1982.

He said a witness watched the incident unfold early Friday.

"There were two women that were driving the BMW SUV and they were racing a person that was in a Camaro and evidently they tried to turn the corner and they missed a corner and ran into our church," McKinley said.

McKinley said the witness saw the women in the SUV allegedly jump into the Camaro, which drove away.

As Paige reports, the kind of damage caused to the small neighborhood church has a ripple effect that goes beyond the cancellation of church service Sunday. The church will also have to cancel serving food to the hungry on Tuesday and their program for seniors and the youth.

"We don't know when we'll be able to actually be able to use our building again," McKinley said.

Despite what happened, McKinley said it's important to remember that no one was injured. That, he says, is a blessing.

"Had this happened on this Sunday, then we would have not only the devastation but we'd have a loss of lives," he said.