Driver hits Pride parade, killing 1

WILTON MANORS, Fla. — A driver slammed into spectators Saturday evening at the start of a Pride parade in southern Florida, killing one person and seriously injuring another, authorities said.

The pickup truck driver acted like he was part of the Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride Parade but then suddenly accelerated when he was told he was next, crashing into the victims, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said, according to WSVNTV. Wilton Manors is just north of Fort Lauderdale.

Authorities said one of the victims later died of injuries. The other victim was hospitalized.

The driver of the pickup truck was taken into custody. Authorities did not immediately give further details about the victims.

Trantalis said he believes the crash was intentional and an attack against the LGBTQ community. “It was deliberate,” he said.

Spectator Christina Currie told the South Florida SunSentinel that she was with her family at the start of the parade.

“All of a sudden there was a loud revving of a truck and a crash through a fence,” Currie said. “It was definitely an intentional act right across the lanes of traffic.”

Photos and video from the scene showed Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, DFla., in tears while in a convertible at the parade.

In a statement Saturday night, Wasserman Schultz said she was safe but “deeply shaken and devastated that a life was lost.”

Wilton Manors police tweeted Saturday night that the public was not in danger.

“A tragic incident occurred at today’s Stonewall event,” Wilton Manors Mayor Scott Newton said in a statement, according to WPLGTV. “Out of respect for everyone involved, the parade has been canceled and a thorough investigation is being conducted.”