Anecia Forbes: Mardi Gras parade: 3 critically hurt as SUV hits band

SUMMARY: Twelve Alabama students were injured Tuesday when a Ford Expedition taking part in a Mardi Gras parade plowed into a marching band ahead of it, officials said. Three students are in critical condition but stable, Gulf Shores city spokesman Grant Brown said. The victims' ages range from 12 to 17. Brown said a 73-year-old man was driving the SUV, which accelerated before it hit the Gulf Shores High School marching band. It was not immediately clear why the driver accelerated, but authorities do not believe the crash was intentional. "Every indication is that it was a tragic accident," police Chief Ed Delmore said. Six of those injured are middle school students; six are high school students, Baldwin County Public Schools said in a statement. As the children were treated and rushed to ambulances, dented musical instruments and debris were scattered on the street. Earlier authorities said four people were in critical condition. One of the students was released from the hospital, the school system said Tuesday afternoon on its Facebook page. Brown said there were no signs that drugs or alcohol were involved. Delmore told reporters at a second news conference that the driver had given blood samples voluntarily. The chief said there is at least one video showing the accident, and police also hope to retrieve information about the vehicle's speed and movement from an computer on the SUV. Several emergency agencies scrambled to the coastal community to help with what fire Battalion Chief Kevin Tolbert called a "mass trauma incident." Tolbert said the SUV ended up on top of some of the children. A crisis counselor was at a local high school to comfort students and parents who witnessed the crash, said Angie Swiger, a member of the Baldwin County Board of Education. "It's going to be a very difficult day," she said. "It is a tight-knit community. We just ask for everyone's thoughts and prayers." The vehicle was representing the Military Officers Association of America. The organization said it was still learning the facts. "We're concerned about those who have been injured and our hearts and prayers go out to them and their families as they deal with this unfortunate mishap," the organization said. Brown said the band was at the head of the parade and the SUV was behind the 100 or so members. The band marched onto a highway to begin the parade and the truck followed. "And then something went terribly wrong," Brown said.

ANAYLSIS: This article is written by CNN News. This is a very tragic thing to happen especially on such a fun and festive day. I hope everyone that got injured and effected by this incident will stay strong as they recover. It puzzles me HOW the vehicle lost control and ended up doing what it did. They really need to figure what went on if it was the vehicle so this incident can be prevented or the driver. This can be synthesized to when Felix the Cat caught on fire after tangling with telephone wires along the route in Macy's Thanksgiving Parade November 24 1927 (Felix became the first balloon fatality in the popular event).

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/28/us/alabama-mardi-gras-parade-crash/index.html