Several people were injured when a vehicle struck revellers at a parade celebrating the Lao New Year in rural Louisiana, authorities said.
The driver was quickly arrested and charged with impaired driving, police said.
Video shared on social media showed multiple people on the ground at the annual event in Broussard and New Iberia on Saturday.
The videos showed firefighters tending to one person trapped beneath the car, which wound up in a ditch along the parade route.
Around 15 people were hurt, some seriously, according to the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office.
“Based on the preliminary investigation, this does not appear to be an intentional act,” said a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, Rebecca Melancon.
Acadian Ambulance, a private ambulance company, said on social media that it responded to the emergency around 2.30pm and sent 10 ambulances and a helicopter to aid the injured. Two patients were airlifted, it said.
The Louisiana State Police said the driver, who is 57 and lived in Jeanerette, appeared impaired when police arrived and later tested positive for a high blood alcohol level.
He was charged with impaired, negligent and careless driving and having an open container of alcohol in the vehicle.
The parade is part of a three-day New Year celebration set in the Lanxang Village, a Laotian neighbourhood near New Iberia with hundreds of families, and near the Buddhist temple grounds of Wat Thammarattanaram.
It features South-East Asian food, live music, a parade and other family-friendly activities attracting thousands each year. — AP
