Truck Slams into Crowd at Mardi Gras Parade Injuring 28

Truck Slams into Crowd at Mardi Gras Parade Injuring 28

  • Feb 27, 2017

A truck drove into a Mardi Grad parade crowd in New Orleans on Saturday night, injuring 28 people. Police Chief Michael Harrison said the suspect hit two other cars on the intersection of Orleans and Carrollton Avenues where the Krewe of Endymion parade was underway.

The driver was apprehended and was identified as 25-year-old Neilson Rizzuto. Police say he was extremely intoxicated when the car collided with the crowd, his blood-alcohol level was .232 percent, three times the legal limit.

Rizzuto has been charged with two counts of first-degree vehicular negligence resulting in injury, and one count each of reckless operation and hit-and-run driving. He may face more charges, rumors circulating Monday morning said there could be up to 19 more charges.

A total of 21 people were hospitalized, including one female police officer. None of the injuries are life-threatening.

Terrorists have used vehicles as weapons of mass destruction, but Chief Harrison said there is no indication that the incident was an act of terrorism.   

Security and police in New Orleans had been beefing up security in the French Quarter and on Bourbon Street before the celebrations of Mardi Gras. There had been talks of closing down certain streets to vehicles after a certain time of night in order to secure the streets more, but it has not been disclosed if the intersection of Orleans and Carrollton Avenues was protected by barriers at the time of the crash.

The city of New Orleans had deployed extra officers to the parade route before the time of the crash as part of a comprehensive security plan for Mardi Gras. They also worked with local businesses to create a network of surveillance cameras to record footage on some of the most popular streets in the city.

Featured

  • It's Show Time

    I am one of those people that likes to see things get bigger and better. As advertised, ISC West is going to be bigger (more exhibitors) and better (more attendees). It’s show time in Las Vegas. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

  • SIA Releases New Report on Operational Security Technology

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has released an impactful new resource – Operational Security Technology: Principles, Challenges and Achieving Mission-Critical Outcomes Leveraging OST. Read Now

  • Cyber Overconfidence Is Leaving Your Organization Vulnerable

    The increased sophistication of cyber threats pumped by the relentless use of AI and machine learning brings forth record-breaking statistics. Cyberattacks grew 44% YoY in 2024, with a weekly average of 1,673 cyberattacks per organization. While organizations up their security game to help thwart these attacks, a critical question remains: Can employees identify a threat when they come across one? A Confidence Gap survey reveals that 86% of employees feel confident in their ability to identify phishing attempts. But things are not as rosy as they appear; the more significant part of the report finds this confidence misplaced. Read Now

  • Mission 500 Debuts Refreshed Identity Ahead of Security 5K/2K at ISC West

    Mission 500, the security industry’s nonprofit charity dedicated to supporting children in need across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, has unveiled a refreshed brand identity ahead of ISC West. The charity’s new look includes a modernized logo with refined messaging to reinforce Mission 500’s nearly decade-long commitment to serving the needs of children and families in crisis. Read Now

    • Industry Events
Most   Popular

New Products

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.