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It then crossed all traffic lanes and crashed into the fence of a plant nursery on the west side of the street.Ī DUI investigation was conducted onsite and the driver showed no signs of impairment, Fort Lauderdale Detective Ali Adamson said. As the truck began to edge forward to start the parade, it accelerated, hitting the two pedestrians. The truck was stopped in the staging area, awaiting the start of the parade. The driver was wearing a Fort Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus T-shirt and had a large Pride flag on his 2011 white Dodge Ram.
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Both victims were taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where one died. Police have not released the names of the driver or the men he hit. "This tragedy took place within feet of me and my (Broward Sheriff's Office) team, and we are devastated having witnessed this horrific incident.Fort Lauderdale police continue to investigate the fatal crash that interrupted the start of the Wilton Manors Stonewall Parade and Festival around 7 p.m. "Though authorities are still gathering information, we know two individuals marching to celebrate inclusion and equality were struck by a vehicle," Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony said in a statement. Wilton Manors police tweeted Saturday night that the public is not in danger. "It was definitely an intentional act right across the lanes of traffic." "All of a sudden there was a loud revving of a truck and a crash through a fence," Currie said. Spectator Christina Currie told the South Florida SunSentinel that she was with her family at the start of the parade. "May the memory of the life lost be for a blessing." "I am so heartbroken by what took place at this celebration," she said. In a statement Saturday night, Wasserman Schultz said she was safe but "deeply shaken and devastated that a life was lost." Debbie Wasserman Schultz in tears while in a convertible at the parade. Photos and video from the scene showed Democratic U.S. Police said the driver was taken into custody, but it was unclear whether he had been charged. In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Trantalis said he believed the crash was "deliberate." "We anticipate more details to follow and ask for the community's love and support."įort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said a driver of a pickup truck suddenly accelerated when he was told he was next in the parade, crashing into the victims, according to WSVN-TV.
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This was not an attack on the LGBTQ community," Knight said in the statement. The driver and the victims were a part of the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus family, according to a statement reported by news outlets from the group's president, Justin Knight. Wilton Manors is just north of Fort Lauderdale. The collision happened during the Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride Parade. Some witnesses said the crash appeared to be an intentional act, but Fort Lauderdale Police Detective Ali Adamson told reporters that authorities were investigating all possibilities. A driver slammed into spectators Saturday evening at the start of a Pride parade in South Florida, killing one man and seriously injuring another, authorities said. Police and firefighters respond after a truck drove into a crowd of people injuring them during The Stonewall Pride Parade and Street Festival in Wilton Manors, Fla., on Saturday, June 19, 2021.