DWI Suspected in Crash That Hurt 28 at New Orleans Parade

New Orleans police work at the scene where a vehicle plowed into a crowd watching the Krewe of Endymion parade in the Mid-City section of New Orleans on Feb. 25, 2017. Chris Granger/NOLA.com The Times-Picayune via AP

NEW ORLEANS—Authorities on Sunday identified the man who allegedly plowed into a crowd enjoying a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans while intoxicated.

The New Orleans Police Department issued a statement identifying the man as 25-year-old Neilson Rizzuto. Online jail records showed Rizzuto was arrested on a number of charges and was being held at the city’s jail.

The accident came Saturday during one of the busiest nights of Mardi Gras when thousands of people throng the streets of Mid-City to watch the elaborate floats and clamor to catch beads and trinkets tossed from riders.

“We suspect that that subject was highly intoxicated,” Police Chief Michael Harrison had said on Saturday evening.

Harrison was asked by the media if terrorism was suspected. While he didn’t say “No,” he did say it looks like a case of DWI.

People hug and console each other as they watch New Orleans police work the scene where a vehicle plowed into a crowd injuring multiple people as the Krewe of Endymion parade rolled through New Orleans on Feb. 25, 2017. Chris Granger/NOLA.com The Times-Picayune via AP