At least five dead and 40 injured as SUV drives into Christmas parade
At least five people have been killed and more than 40 injured after an SUV plowed through a crowded Christmas parade in Wisconsin.
The horrific incident was captured on numerous cameras and mobile phones, with footage showing onlookers screaming ‘Oh my God’ as dozens of people were struck by the vehicle in the city of Waukesha on Sunday.
One chilling clip shows the red SUV hurtling past a little girl dressed in pink as she dances in the street. Another, of dancers with pompoms, ends with a group of people tending to a girl on the ground.
A father later described going ‘from one crumpled body to the other’ in desperate search of his daughter. Among those hurt were elderly women who were part of a ‘Dancing Grannies’ float.
Police said a ‘person of interest’ had been detained and the vehicle recovered. But Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson gave no details about the person or any possible motive.
Attorney General Josh Kaul, the state’s top law enforcement officer, tweeted: ‘What took place in Waukesha today is sickening, and I have every confidence that those responsible will be brought to justice.’
Map showing the parade route
‘Then we saw people running away or stopping crying, and there, there are people on the ground who looked like they’d been hit by the vehicle.’
Waukesha mayor Shawn Reilly told WITI television station that there were people injured but he does not believe there is any current danger to the public
Wisconsin Governer Tony Evers said: ‘Kathy and I are praying for Waukesha tonight and all the kids, families, and community members affected by this senseless act.
‘I’m grateful for the first responders and folks who acted quickly to help, and we are in contact with local partners as we await more information.’
Souece:https://metro.co.uk/2021/11/22Police and emergency vehicles arrive at the scene (Picture: Jesus Ochoa via Reuters)
A broken children’s stroller by the side of the road (Picture: AP)
‘Chaotic’ scenes after SUV ploughs through Waukesha Christmas Parade
Kaylee Staral, an intern with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel witnessed the incident.
She told CNN:
She said that after the car left there were ‘multiple people on the ground’, adding that police said 30 people could have been affected.
‘Right in front of me in the little spot where I was sitting, probably four people were down,’ she said.
She said she believed these four people were still breathing but they were ‘not moving’
Corey Montiho, a Waukesha school district board member, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: ‘There were pompoms and shoes and spilled hot chocolate everywhere. I had to go from one crumpled body to the other to find my daughter.
‘My wife and two daughters were almost hit. Please pray for everybody. Please pray.’
The Milwaukee Dancing Grannies posted on its Facebook page that ‘members of the group and volunteers were impacted and we are waiting for word on their conditions’.
The group’s profile describes them as a ‘group of grannies that meet once a week to practice routines for summer and winter parades’.
A Catholic priest, several parishioners and Waukesha Catholic schoolchildren were among those injured, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee spokeswoman Sandra Peterson said.
Police officers walk beside debris left from the crowds (Picture: EPA) Waukesha Police Department posted on their Facebook page that people should ‘avoid the downtown area for the time being’.
They said that a family reunification location is at the Metro Transit Center by Bank Street.
Angelito Tenorio, a West Allis alderman who is running for Wisconsin state treasurer, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he was watching the parade with his family when they saw the vehicle come speeding into the area.
He told the newspaper: ‘We heard a loud bang, and just deafening cries and screams from people who are who are struck by the vehicle.
‘Then we saw people running away or stopping crying, and there, there are people on the ground who looked like they’d been hit by the vehicle.’
Waukesha mayor Shawn Reilly told WITI television station that there were people injured but he does not believe there is any current danger to the public
Wisconsin Governer Tony Evers said: ‘Kathy and I are praying for Waukesha tonight and all the kids, families, and community members affected by this senseless act.
‘I’m grateful for the first responders and folks who acted quickly to help, and we are in contact with local partners as we await more information.’
Source:metro.co.uk/2021/11/22
