FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A crash that killed one man and injured one other earlier than the beginning of the Stonewall Pleasure Parade and Road Competition in Wilton Manors seems to be unintended, Fort Lauderdale police stated Sunday.
The crash occurred Saturday night within the 1600 block of Northeast Fourth Avenue.
In line with police, a preliminary investigation revealed a 2011 white Dodge Ram was stopped within the staging space, awaiting the beginning of the parade.
The driving force of the car, a 77-year-old man, was a participant who had illnesses stopping him from strolling at some point of the parade. He had then been chosen to drive because the lead car, police stated.
Because the truck started to maneuver ahead, it accelerated unexpectedly, hanging two pedestrians, investigators stated. After hanging the pedestrians, the truck continued throughout all lanes of site visitors, in the end crashing into the fence of a enterprise on the west aspect of the road.
Police stated the driving force remained on the scene of the crash and cooperated with investigators. Police carried out a DUI investigation and located no indicators of impairment.
The driving force, in addition to each pedestrians, are members of the Fort Lauderdale Homosexual Males’s Refrain.
Lynne Sladky/AP
Each males have been taken to Broward Well being Medical Heart with critical accidents. One of many males later died on the hospital.
The second man remained on the hospital Sunday however was anticipated to outlive. Their identities have not been launched.
No arrests have been made.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis launched the next assertion:
Final night, firstly of what was to be a celebration of delight for the LGBT group and commemoration of our hard-won victories for equality, our group confronted the worst of tragedies. The grief of our LGBT group — and larger Fort Lauderdale as an entire — is palpable.
I used to be an eyewitness to the horrifying occasions. It terrorized me and throughout me. I reported what I noticed to legislation enforcement and had sturdy issues about what transpired — issues for the security of my group. I feared it might be intentional based mostly on what I noticed from mere ft away.
Legislation enforcement took what appeared apparent to me and others close by and investigated additional — as is their job. Because the details proceed to be pieced collectively, an image is rising of an accident by which a truck careened uncontrolled. In consequence, one man died, two others have been injured and the lives of two members of Congress have been in danger. My coronary heart breaks for all impacted by this tragedy.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Division continues to analyze this case and asks anybody who might have witnessed the incident, and has not already spoken to investigators, to contact Site visitors Murder Investigator Paul Williams at 954-828-5755.
