New Orleans Police declared that the driver responsible for the Mardi Gras incident was drunk.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – New Orleans authorities have released new details regarding the case of the truck driver who injured 28 bystanders last week. Neilson Rizzuto, the man behind the wheel of the truck who hit a crowd gathered for the Mardi Gras Parade, was highly intoxicated, according to the authorities. The blood-alcohol performed after the suspected was arrested, indicated a level of 0.232 percent, three times the legal limit.
A spokesperson for the New Orleans Police Department declared on Sunday, during a press conference, that the truck incident which took place last week was not an act of terrorism and that the truck driver was driving under the influence of alcohol.
For those of you who don’t remember, last week, on Tuesday, a truck driver lost control of his vehicle and drove straight into the crowd gathered to witness the Mardi Gras parade. According to the authorities, no fatalities were registered after the incident, but 21 people, aged 6 to 30 were hospitalized.
Furthermore, it would seem that before ramming the crowd, truck’s driver, later identified as being 25-year-old Neilson Rizzuto, hit at least three vehicles. The driver lost control of his truck after colliding with a dump truck located on the median.
Some of the people who have witnessed the incident recall that the driver hit at least two other cars parked on the sidewalk before ramming the crowd. In addition, it would seem that the driver was not aware of what he had done when the law enforcement officers arrested him.
An eyewitness said that the individual looked baffled and somewhat outraged about the officers arresting him. After being taken down to the station for processing, Rizzuto was tested with a breath analyzer. The device showed that the truck driver who rammed the Mardi Gras crowd had a blood alcohol level of 0.232 percent, three times higher than the legal limit.
On Sunday, a judge set Mr. Rizzuto’s bail at $125,000. New Orleans Police said that in the event the individual would be able to pay his bail, he will be released from prison and placed under house arrest.
For now, Rizzuto has been charged with DUI, first-degree vehicular negligence which resulted in severe and multiple injuries, hit-and-run, and reckless operation of a vehicle. If he is found guilty, Rizzuto will stay behind bars for some time. At the moment, only a couple of bystanders are in critical, yet stable condition.
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