A Labor Day block party ended in chaos on Monday, as a vehicle crashed into a crowd of people. The accident sent eight people to the hospital and occurred along the 1500 block of Ringgold Street at around 4 p.m.
The vehicle, driven by an unnamed female, reportedly tried to go around the crowd of people attending the party.
According to the car accident report, the woman claimed that her brakes failed, causing her vehicle to crash into the crowd of people. The woman has since been arrested and was found to be driving under the influence at the time of the accident.
Police have not mentioned whether the vehicle’s brakes were at-fault for the accident, or if the intoxicated woman made up the story to avoid being arrested.
Initial reports via Twitter suggest that eight people were treated at the hospital. The injured individuals are not believed to have life-threatening injuries. The driver, who remained on the scene, also hit a pregnant woman in the incident. The woman, 21 years old, is believed to be 6 – 8 months into her pregnancy.
It is believed that the mother and her child are both in good health.
Attendees of the block party remain in shock. The attendees state that everybody was crying and screaming following the accident. Attendees stayed at the scene to provide support to those who were injured.
Surveillance video from the accident has been released from several sources.
One video shows the SUV driving onto the sidewalk, crashing into partygoers. The video time shown is around 4:15 pm. The video shows the aftermath of the accident, with people in horror as tables and tents were on the ground.
One witness states that “people was [sic] flying.” Other people were seen under vehicles. The vehicle was on top of the partygoers at one point, according to a witness. Injuries sustained in the car accident, according to some attendees, include partygoers claiming their legs hurt, bleeding from the head and also bleeding from the eyes.
Witnesses do not believe that the woman’s brakes failed.
The party, held on Labor Day, included a celebration of a neighborhood resident Eunice Ector. Ector was celebrating his 80th birthday. The celebration also served as a back-to-school party for kids. The scene of the accident shows pencils, toys and books thrown on the floor.
Ector’s 94-year-old friend was also injured and taken to Hahnemann University Hospital where she is being treated for her injuries.
