A truck pulling a float for a holiday parade in North Carolina crashed Saturday, striking and killing a girl participating in the event.
Eko Hot Blog reports that The driver who lost control of the vehicle and struck the child was arrested and charged with reckless driving and other offenses, the Raleigh Police Department said in a news release. Police identified the driver as Landen Christopher Glass, 20.
EDITOR’S PICKS
-
Alleged Grass-Cutting Fraud: EFCC To Appeal Dismissal Of Case Against Babachir Lawal, Others
-
Abacha Loot: US Repatriates $20m To Nigeria To Fund Infrastructure Projects
-
NBS Releases Number Of Nigerians Living In Multidimensional Poverty
Witnesses said that people attending the Raleigh Christmas Parade heard the pickup truck’s driver screaming that he had lost control of the vehicle and couldn’t stop it before the crash.
The girl struck by the truck was part of a dance troupe participating in the holiday parade.
Olivia Bruce, a 14-year-old member of the dance troupe, told the newspaper that the truck almost hit her, too.
“We started dancing in the parade, and then all of a sudden, we just heard a lot of honking. And when we turned back, we saw the truck almost on our backs, so we turned away,” Bruce said.
An eyewitness, Christine Barnes, said that girls in the dance troupe couldn’t hear the driver honking the truck’s horn over the music playing. Adults were scrambling to get the children out of the truck’s path, she added.
“The girls were just hysterical,” Barnes said. “It was really traumatizing.”
Barnes said the truck came within inches of hitting several other girls.
“The truck wasn’t going that fast, but because the girls had no idea it was coming, they just couldn’t get out of the way.” she said.
Nobody else at the parade was injured in the collision.
The parade was cancelled after the crash. Police advised drivers and pedestrians to avoid the area.
Glass was one of three people in the vehicle towing the float at a low rate of speed, police said.
Investigators interviewed Glass, who was charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, careless and reckless driving, using improper equipment, unsafe movement, and carrying a firearm in a parade.
The names and age of the girl wasn’t immediately released.
“Our hearts go out to the family of the victim and those who witnessed this tragic incident,” police said.
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin expressed her condolences for the girl’s family and friends.
FURTHER READING
-
End Of An Era: US Speaker Pelosi To Step Down As House Democratic Leader
-
Hakeem Jefferies Launches Bid To Succeed Pelosi As Leader Of US House Democrats
-
Soldier Goes Berserk, Shoots Colleague, Aid Worker To Death
“Today started off with such joy.,” the mayor tweeted. “My heart was so full. And now it aches for the young girl hit in a tragic accident on the parade route.”
Source: AP
Click to watch our video of the week:
Advertise or Publish a Story on EkoHot Blog:
Kindly contact us at [email protected]. Breaking stories should be sent to the above email and substantiated with pictorial evidence.
Citizen journalists will receive a token as data incentive.
Call or Whatsapp: 0803 561 7233, 0703 414 5611
