Officials Rule Out Intentional Act After Preliminary Investigation Concludes

A vehicle plowed into a crowd of parade participants at the Louisiana Lao New Year Festival in New Iberia on Saturday afternoon, injuring at least 13 people before authorities arrested the driver on impaired driving charges and ruled out an intentional act based on a preliminary investigation.

The call came out around 2:40 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, during the Louisiana Lao New Year Festival in Broussard. The car struck "multiple pedestrians" Saturday afternoon at the corner of Savannakhet and Melancon Road in New Iberia, according to the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office. Deputies said in a statement they were investigating an incident involving a vehicle that struck multiple pedestrians during a parade. "Several individuals sustained injuries, some of which are believed to be serious," the sheriff's office said.

Louisiana State Police said 57-year-old Todd Landry of Jeanerette was arrested following an investigation. Landry showed signs of impairment, police said, and ultimately submitted a breath sample indicating a BAC of 0.137. That figure is nearly double Louisiana's legal limit of 0.08. Troopers arrested Landry and booked him into the Iberia Parish jail for driving while impaired and other charges.

Acadian Ambulance reported the incident happened around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday in New Iberia. Acadian's initial response included seven ambulances and one Air Med helicopter. Dispatchers then added three more ambulances and an additional helicopter. Of the 13 patients transported, 11 went by ground ambulance and two were airlifted. At least four of those transported were in critical condition.

The Louisiana Lao New Year Festival parade is an annual tradition on Easter weekend in Iberia Parish, featuring live music, food vendors, and a beauty pageant. New Iberia is a city of more than 28,000 in Iberia Parish, about 21 miles south of Lafayette, and is home to a small but vibrant Laotian diaspora community. In the aftermath of the crash, festival organizers said all security resources had been surged to the scene. "We are profoundly saddened by the news of the incident near the festival grounds," organizers wrote on social media.

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said on social media that he and his wife were "praying for all those affected, and are grateful for the first responders who have responded to the scene." State Attorney General Liz Murrill also released a statement saying she was "praying for all those injured and impacted by this terrible tragedy" and would follow up with responding law enforcement agencies to offer support.

Investigators have not disclosed what caused Landry's vehicle to enter the crowd. The sheriff's office said the preliminary investigation points away from intentional action, but the inquiry remains ongoing as authorities piece together the sequence of events along the parade route.