The driver and victims involved in the fatal crash at a Pride parade in Florida over the weekend have been identified as members of a gay men’s choir.
Saturday’s crash killed one person and hospitalized another man after a truck struck a car before 7 p.m. at the celebratory parade in Wilton Manors in Broward County. Both men were taken to local hospitals, where one died after arrival. The other man remains in the hospital but is expected to survive.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department said the two men were members of the city’s gay men’s chorus. The driver, who died in the crash, is reported to have been 77 years old and had ailments that prevented him from walking the duration of the parade. A DUI investigation of the driver was conducted on the scene, but no signs of impairment were found.
ONE DEAD AND ONE HOSPITALIZED AFTER TRUCK DRIVES THROUGH PRIDE EVENT IN FLORIDA: POLICE
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic death and injuries that occurred as a result of an unfortunate accident at the start of the Stonewall Pride Parade. As the Chorus family mourns together, we thank the community for their love and understanding,” the chorus group said in a statement.
The Fort Lauderdale Police Department is conducting an investigation into the incident in coordination with the FBI.
“We owe it to our community to conduct a thorough and complete investigation and are working in conjunction with our partners at the FBI to complete that,” the department said in a statement shared with the Washington Examiner.
Following the incident on Saturday, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis referred to the incident as a “terrorist attack” against the LGBT community but faced online criticism by some for coming to such a conclusion with minimal information.
Trantalis clarified his statement to Fox News a day later, saying he drew his conclusion based on his own eyewitness account.
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“I feared it could be intentional based on what I saw from mere feet away,” Trantalis said. “Law enforcement took what appeared obvious to me and others nearby and investigated further — as is their job. As the facts continue to be pieced together, a picture is emerging of an accident in which a truck careened out of control.”
