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Drunken Driver Hits Louisiana Lao New Year Parade, Injuring 15 in Iberia Parish

Drunken Driver Hits Louisiana Lao New Year Parade, Injuring 15 in Iberia Parish
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Around 15 people were injured, several of them critically, when an allegedly drunk driver plowed into a Lao New Year parade crowd in rural Iberia Parish, Louisiana, on Saturday afternoon, prompting a massive medical response and multiple felony charges.kadn +1 Authorities said the incident, which occurred during a major cultural festival near New Iberia, did not initially appear to be intentional.nbcnews

What Happened at the Louisiana Lao New Year Festival?

The crash took place around 2:30–2:40 p.m. on April 4, as participants marched near the corner of Savannakhet and Melancon Road during the Louisiana Lao New Year Festival, a large annual celebration held near the Wat Thammarattanaram temple.aljazeera +1 Witnesses said a vehicle inched forward, revved its engine and then accelerated into parade participants, striking multiple people in the roadway.theguardian

Injured totals varied as hospitals and emergency responders updated counts: national and local outlets reported roughly 13–18 people hurt, with at least a handful in serious or critical condition.kadn +2 Acadian Ambulance said it transported 11 patients by ground and two by air, using at least 10 ambulances and medical helicopters to move victims to area hospitals.cbsnews +1 Festival organizers canceled evening music events and said they were “profoundly saddened,” while trying to preserve scaled‑back religious observances if security allowed.kadn

Driver, Charges and Early Investigation Findings

Louisiana State Police identified the driver as Todd Landry, 57, of Jeanerette, who was arrested at the scene and booked into the Iberia Parish Jail.nypost Troopers said Landry showed signs of impairment and later registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.137%, well above Louisiana’s legal limit of 0.08%.nypost +1 He was charged with driving while impaired, 18 counts of first-degree negligent injuring, careless operation and having an open container, with investigators indicating additional or amended charges could follow.nypost +1

The Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office said that “based on the preliminary investigation, this does not appear to be an intentional act,” a conclusion echoed by state police and federal briefings to the media.kadn +2 Still, the description by some witnesses of the car’s behavior before impact has ensured investigators are scrutinizing video, vehicle data and potential prior incidents involving the driver.theguardian +1

The Bigger Picture

The collision shocked Lanexang Village’s long‑established Lao community, which built the New Iberia‑area festival into a major regional event over several decades.cbsnews As victims remained hospitalized Saturday night, the focus turned to both accountability for the crash and the vulnerability of parades and cultural gatherings already on edge after a series of recent U.S. incidents involving vehicles and crowds. Whether prosecutors ultimately treat the case purely as a DWI‑driven tragedy or consider more severe counts will hinge on the final injury assessments and investigative findings now underway.