At least 13 people were hospitalized after an impaired driver struck revelers at a parade celebrating the Lao New Year in Louisiana, officials said. The car struck “multiple pedestrians” Saturday afternoon at the corner of Savannakhet Street and Melancon Road in Broussard, the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office told NBC News. The 57-year-old driver was arrested. Broussard is located about 8 miles southwest of Lafayette and near the city of New Iberia. “Several individuals sustained injuries, some of which are believed to be serious,” the sheriff’s office said. The crash happened during a Lao New Year event celebrating the Buddhist new year. Ambulance service Acadian Ambulance said it transported 11 patients by ground and two by air as a result of the incident. The driver, Todd Landry of Jeanerette, was soon after taken into custody. Landry showed “signs of impairment,” and a breathalyzer test indicated he had a blood alcohol content level of 0.137%, according to state police. The legal limit in Louisiana is 0.08%. He was booked into the Iberia Parish jail for driving while impaired, 18 counts of first-degree negligent injuring, careless operation, and having an open alcohol container in his vehicle, state police said. The investigation is ongoing. Festival organizers canceled Saturday evening’s music programs in light of the crash. “We are profoundly saddened by the news of the incident near the festival grounds. We are awaiting additional details from authorities as they become available,” organizers said in a post on the event’s Facebook page, noting that security has been redirected to the scene. “We are praying for the victims and for their families during this difficult time,” they added. The festival will reopen scheduled religious services Sunday and vendors will be open if security resources “are restored,” the organizers said. Gov. Jeff Landry wrote on Facebook: “Sharon and I are praying for all those affected, and are grateful for the first responders who have responded to the scene.”
