Multiple Parade Attendees Hospitalized In New Orleans After Truck Crashes Into Crowd (UPDATED)
At least a dozen people were reported injured in New Orleans on Saturday after a truck crashed into a crowd of observers at a Mardi Gras parade.
WDSU reports that at around 7 p.m. local time, the vehicle ran into the Mid-City crowd at Orleans and Carrollton Avenue. An investigation is underway, though 12 people have been hospitalized, and they are reportedly in critical condition.
#BREAKING According to NOPD, the number of people injured could increase as the investigation continues
— Kristin Pierce (@KPierceTV) February 26, 2017
Endymion was rolling at the time the vehicles plowed onto parade watchers on neutral ground at Carrollton and Orleans.
— Meg Farris (@megfarrisWWL) February 26, 2017
UPDATE – 9:08 p.m. EST: WDSU has footage from the scene, and local police will soon hold a press meeting about the incident:
Raw video via WDSU photog of scene after truck crashes into crowd along parade route. https://t.co/Ick74qhh1T
(Viewer discretion advised) pic.twitter.com/Qcb8SiTovh— wdsu (@wdsu) February 26, 2017
UPDATE – 9:13 p.m. EST: Police say that 21 people have been transported to the hospital. The driver responsible for the crash was said to have hit multiple vehicles before crashing into parade watchers, and police have said that the incident currently seems to be due to drunk driving, not terrorism.
“It appears that it was a subject who was highly intoxicated who struck a number of vehicles and then veered off, hitting a whole bunch of innocent people,” said New Orleans Police Superintendent Michael Harrison.
An arrest was made at the scene:
Police arrest an man at scene after pickup truck slammed into Endymion crowd at Carrollton & Orleans https://t.co/dQdZfGFRCR pic.twitter.com/r5em0Nzqyh
— New Orleans Advocate (@theadvocateno) February 26, 2017
UPDATE – 9:36 p.m. EST: The injury total has gone up, though there are no confirmed fatalities as of yet:
The Latest: Suspect in custody in New Orleans parade crash; 28 people injured and 21 hospitalized. https://t.co/cQlwsZgIZX
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 26, 2017
This story is developing, and we shall add new details as they come.
[Image via screengrab]
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