Eight people were being transported to hospitals after the vehicle struck the crowd on West Pico Boulevard, the Los Angeles Fire Department said on Twitter, Reuters reports.
A ninth person was hurt but did not need to be taken to a hospital.
The Los Angeles Times reports that two vehicles collided when one ran a red light, sending one car onto the footpath and into a group of people eating at a restaurant.
A 44-year-old man was in critical condition, the fire department said.
Three people were seriously injured, and four were in fair condition, with the ages of the seven ranging from 18 to 51, it said.
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Los Angeles' NBC television affiliate, KNBC, said the vehicle was a van and the driver remained at the scene.
The fire department tweets did not say if the incident was intentional.
