A vehicle was driven into a crowd of revellers at the Krewe of Endymion parade in New Orleans Saturday, sending 21 people to hospital.
Police Chief Michael Harrison says one person in custody and that he is being investigated for driving while intoxicated in the Mid-City section of
New Orleans.
WATCH: New Orleans police chief says truck was traveling opposite direction of parade route
The accident came during one of the busiest nights of Mardi Gras when thousands of people throng the streets of Mid-City to watch the elaborate floats and clamour to catch beads and trinkets tossed from riders.
Harrison said that 21 people were hospitalized after the crash with five victims in guarded condition. Seven others declined to be hospitalized.
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Earlier, police spokeswoman Ambria Washington said that a dozen people were in critical condition, and that “that number could increase as the investigation is ongoing.”
WATCH: 21 patients transported to local hospitals, medical service director reports
The Times-Picayune reported that the crash took place around 6:45 p.m. local time.
One witness told the New Orleans Advocate that a silver truck zipped just a few feet away from her before crashing into a Chevrolet Malibu, causing it to strike a utility pole.
Twenty-year-old Kourtney McKinnis told the Advocate that the driver of the truck seemed almost unaware of what he had just done.
“He was just kind of out of it,” she said.
The Krewe of Endymion parade is one of the largest events leading up to New Orleans’ famed Mardi Gras celebrations on Feb. 28.
— With files from the Associated Press
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