The biggest parade of the New Orleans Mardi Gras season was tragically interrupted late last month when a pickup truck crashed into a crowd of onlookers. The crash injured twenty-eight spectators, including a police officer at the scene and a small child. Most of the injured were hurt seriously enough to be taken to area hospitals, and five people were admitted in critical condition. On a positive note, no one was killed in the incident, and none of the injured had life-threatening injuries.
Charges Issued
The twenty-five-year-old driver of the pickup was not hurt in the crash and was arrested at the scene. It’s been reported that a test administered later showed three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system.
New Orleans police initially charged him with several offenses, including two counts of first-degree negligent vehicular injuring, one count of hit-and-run driving causing serious injury, and one count of reckless operation of a vehicle. Those are felony charges, some of which carry up to five years in prison. Additional charges were added when the number of victims became clear, and the suspect was kept in jail with bond set at $125,000.
Rapid Response
At the point where the Endymion parade turns from Orleans Avenue onto North Carrollton Avenue, the pickup struck two other vehicles and then veered onto the median, which was packed with parade watchers. The pickup plowed through the crowd and came to a stop when it struck a parked dump truck. Some of the victims were pinned against or under the dump truck.
The incident is still under investigation, but there’s been speculation that it began after the driver struck a pedestrian, and that he may have been attempting to flee that scene when the larger crash happened.
True to the spirit of New Orleans, emergency workers and bystanders acted quickly to help the injured. Within about ten minutes, everyone who was hurt was being treated, and the Endymion was back under way.
Twelve Hurt in Separate Crash
This seems to be an unlucky year for Mardi Gras parades. A few days later at a parade in Gulf Shores, Alabama, an SUV that was part of the parade crashed into a high school marching band. Twelve players were hurt, three of them critically.
When people and vehicles mix, there’s always the risk of someone getting hurt, even in controlled situations. Less than a week before the Endymion crash, a sprint car crashed and flipped over a fence during a race, injuring three spectators, two of them seriously.
Baton Rouge Car Accident Lawyer
Motor vehicle crashes happen every day, but almost all of them are preventable. Often, as appears to be the case with the Endymion crash, these accidents happen because of mistakes made by a driver. But someone else’s mistake should not ruin your life.
After a crash, you will have many costs, including vehicle replacement, medical expenses, lost wages and income, and possible long-term recovery costs. It’s important to have experienced help on your side as you pursue your damage claim against the responsible parties.
At Spencer Calahan Injury Lawyers, we understand all the details that need to be considered when pursuing a car accident case. Let’s get together to discuss you claim. The consultation is free and carries no obligation. Call us at 225-387-2323 or contact us online through the form below to schedule your appointment today.
