Truck rams crowd: 28 injured
USA - One man is in custody after an accident at a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans injured at least 28 people, five seriously, officials said. Police Chief Michael Harrison said the suspect, who was driving a pickup truck that hit two cars before running into the crowd, appeared to be highly intoxicated. Among the injured, the youngest is 3 and the oldest are in their 40s. None of the injuries was life-threatening, officials said. The incident occurred near the intersection of Orleans and Carrollton Avenues where the Krewe of Endymion parade was underway. The Endymion parade is one of the most popular parades leading up to Mardi Gras, which is Tuesday, and one of the most family-oriented. Many parents brought their children to the event. The parade, held in the Mid-City neighborhood far from the French Quarter, included three dozen tractordrawn floats, some of them double- and triple-deckers. “With 81 floats, 3,200 riders, and a budget of $7 million, Endymion is the largest Mardi Gras parade. It is also the only parade to roll on a route from Mid-City to downtown New Orleans,” reported NOLA.com. The annual parade is marked by its massive floats, many decorated with neon lettering, large and glowing fleurs-de-lis, big video screens and even spotlights shooting into the sky. The size of the floats allows hundreds of people to ride on some of them, and the riders -- some dressed in tuxedos, others wearing masks and costumes -- continually toss beads and necklaces to the thick crowd.
(CNN)