Car slams into Christmas parade in Wisconsin, more than 20 people injured

An SUV plowed through a crowd at a Christmas parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on Sunday evening, Nov. 21, causing more than 20 people to become injured.

Video footage shared by the Post Millennial shows that the speeding vehicle slammed through the participants of the holiday parade, leaving many lying on the ground. 

The incident caused chaos in Waukesha street, turning a treasured rite of the holiday season into a scene of violent mayhem.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel citing local authorities, said that more than 20 people were injured, with 11 adults and 12 children ferried to local hospitals. There were also some fatalities, but the figure was not released.

Waukesha Police Chief Dan Thompson confirmed the number of injuries, adding that a red SUV deliberately broke through the parade barriers and headed westbound on Main Street.

“The vehicle struck more than 20 individuals. Some of the individuals were children and there were some fatalities as a result of this incident,” he said.

Witnessing the incident, Angelito Tenorio described that, “As we were walking back in between the buildings that we saw an SUV crossover, just put the pedal to the metal and just zooming full speed along the parade route. And then we heard a loud bang, and just deafening cries and screams from people who were struck by the vehicle.”

“And then we saw people running away or stopping crying, and there, there are people on the ground who looked like they’d been hit by the vehicle,” Tenorio added. 

Waukesha Mayor Shawn Reilly called the incident a “horrible and senseless act.”

The Waukesha Police Department asked the public to avoid the downtown area following the critical incident.

The Waukesha police chief announced that a person of interest is in custody, according to CBS 58.

CBS 58 shared photos from a viewer which appear to show the red SUV involved in the Waukesha Holiday Parade incident.

Waukesha Christmas parade is held each year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. This year marks the 59th anniversary of the event.