At least 13 people rushed to hospital after car smashes into packed parade in Louisiana

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 22:44, 4 April 2026 | Updated: 22:58, 4 April 2026 More than 20 people have been rushed to hospital after a driver slammed into a crowd during a Buddhist parade in Louisiana.  The incident unfolded around 2:40pm Saturday during the Louisiana Lao New Year Festival in New Iberia.  The Acadian Ambulance service said on X that at least four victims were in critical condition, and two patients were taken to hospital via helicopter.   The number of victims is not yet clear, with first responders telling KADN that the total is more than 20 people.  The outlet described the perpetrator as an 'alleged drunk driver'.  The Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office said it had the driver in custody, and said that based on its preliminary investigation the crash did not appear to be an intentional act.  The Louisiana Lao New Year Festival is a Buddhist celebration which honors the Lao culture.  At least 13 people have been raced to hospital after a driver slammed into a crowd during a the Louisiana Lao New Year Festival in New Iberia around 2:40pm Saturday The Buddhist parade in the Louisiana town of New Iberia honors the Lao culture. It is seen in a video shared earlier Saturday before the car hit the crowd  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.