A vehicle driven by an intoxicated man struck a crowd of parade participants attending the Louisiana Lao New Year Celebration in New Iberia, Louisiana, on Saturday, April 4, 2026, injuring 18 people and prompting a large-scale emergency response involving ten ambulances and two medical helicopters. The driver, Todd Landry, 57, of Jeanerette, Louisiana, was arrested by Louisiana State Police and booked into the Iberia Parish jail on multiple charges including driving while impaired, 18 counts of first-degree negligent injuring, careless operation, and possession of an open container of alcohol.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:36 p.m. at the corner of Savannakhet Street and Melancon Road in New Iberia, less than half a mile from the Louisiana Lao New Year Celebration festival grounds at Wat Thammarattanaram. The Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed that multiple pedestrians were struck by the vehicle and stated that the crash did not appear to be an intentional act. Louisiana State Police, called in by the sheriff’s department to assist at approximately 2:30 p.m., confirmed that Landry exhibited visible signs of impairment and that a breath sample returned a blood alcohol content reading of 0.137 grams per cent, which is above the legal limit of 0.08 grams per cent in Louisiana.
Acadian Ambulance, the regional emergency transport service, dispatched seven ambulances and a medical helicopter in its initial response before sending three additional ambulances and a second helicopter. In total, Acadian Ambulance transported 13 patients to hospital facilities, with 11 transported by ground ambulance and two airlifted due to the severity of their injuries. The Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office indicated that some of the injuries sustained were serious.
Video footage circulated on social media showed a blue sedan striking a golf cart in the middle of the parade procession. A child was visible falling from the front of the vehicle as it collided with pedestrians. Additional footage showed several injured individuals seated at the roadside bleeding while emergency responders worked to free a person trapped beneath the vehicle. One eyewitness told local broadcaster KATC that the driver appeared initially to be joining the parade before accelerating into the crowd, also striking the golf cart and sending its occupants airborne.
The Louisiana Lao New Year Celebration, a multi-day festival that began Friday evening across the communities of Broussard and New Iberia in southwestern Louisiana, attracts thousands of participants each Easter weekend, drawing attendees from across the southern United States. The annual event has been held for more than 30 years and traces its origins to the resettlement of Laotian refugees in Iberia Parish following the end of the Vietnam War. The Mardi Gras-style parade forms a central component of the celebration, with thousands of revelers travelling on foot, on makeshift floats, and on golf carts toward the festival grounds at Wat Thammarattanaram.
The Louisiana Lao New Year Festival issued a statement expressing that it was profoundly saddened by the incident and indicated that it was still awaiting additional information from law enforcement authorities. Festival organisers announced the cancellation of all Saturday evening events, including scheduled concerts. The statement noted that all security resources had been redirected to the scene and that security personnel were unavailable at the festival grounds as a result. Vendors were permitted to continue operating until 9:00 p.m., with alcohol sales suspended. Organisers said that if security resources were restored, Sunday programming would be limited to religious services, with vendors permitted to remain open.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said in a statement on social media platform X that he and his wife were praying for those affected and expressed gratitude to the first responders who had arrived at the scene. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill also issued a statement expressing that she was praying for those injured and impacted by what she described as a terrible tragedy, and said her office would be following up with responding law enforcement agencies to offer support.
What charges does Todd Landry face following the Louisiana Lao New Year parade crash in New Iberia on April 4, 2026?
Louisiana State Police booked Todd Landry, 57, of Jeanerette, Louisiana, into the Iberia Parish jail on the evening of April 4, 2026, following the incident. The charges against Landry include driving while impaired, 18 counts of first-degree negligent injuring, careless operation of a vehicle, and possession of an open container of alcohol. Under Louisiana law, first-degree negligent injuring is a criminal charge applicable when bodily injury results from criminal negligence, including conduct such as operating a vehicle while impaired. The charge carries penalties that can include imprisonment, and the volume of counts, one for each individual injured, reflects the scope of harm attributed to Landry’s conduct on April 4.
The blood alcohol content reading of 0.137 grams per cent recorded by Louisiana State Police following the breath test administered to Landry placed him significantly above Louisiana’s legal driving limit of 0.08 grams per cent. Louisiana’s driving while impaired statutes apply to any individual operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content at or above 0.08 grams per cent. The investigation into the incident remained ongoing as of the evening of April 4, 2026.
Why is the Louisiana Lao New Year Celebration held in New Iberia and Broussard, and how long has the festival existed in Iberia Parish?
The Louisiana Lao New Year Celebration is rooted in the resettlement of Laotian refugees in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, following the end of the Vietnam War in the 1970s. The Laotian community in the region, centred on the area between Broussard and New Iberia in southwestern Louisiana, established the festival more than 30 years ago as an annual commemoration of Lao New Year, known as Boun Pi Mai, which is traditionally observed in mid-April. The festival at Wat Thammarattanaram, a Buddhist temple serving the local Laotian community, draws thousands of participants each Easter weekend and has evolved into one of the most significant Lao cultural events in the southern United States.
The Mardi Gras-style parade that forms part of the celebration reflects the cultural blending that has characterised the Laotian community’s presence in southwestern Louisiana, where Laotian traditions have coexisted with Louisiana’s longstanding Mardi Gras parade culture. Attendees travel to the event from across the southern United States, making the Easter weekend festival a regionally significant gathering for the Laotian diaspora community in Louisiana and neighbouring states.
How did Louisiana State Police and the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office respond to the New Iberia parade vehicle incident on April 4, 2026?
The Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office received the initial call reporting that multiple pedestrians had been struck by a vehicle during the Louisiana Lao New Year parade at approximately 2:30 p.m. on April 4, 2026. The sheriff’s department contacted Louisiana State Police to assist at the scene. Louisiana State Police arrived, identified Todd Landry as the driver, administered a breath test, and arrested Landry following confirmation that his blood alcohol content exceeded the legal limit. Landry was subsequently transported and booked into the Iberia Parish jail.
Acadian Ambulance, which serves the region as the primary emergency medical transport provider, deployed a substantial emergency response. The initial dispatch included seven ambulances and one medical helicopter. As the scale of the incident became clearer, Acadian Ambulance sent three additional ambulances and a second helicopter, bringing the total ground and air response to ten ambulances and two helicopters. A total of 13 patients were transported to medical facilities, 11 by ambulance and two by helicopter, with the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office confirming that some injuries were assessed as serious.
What are the key takeaways from the New Iberia Louisiana Lao New Year parade vehicle crash on April 4, 2026?
- Todd Landry, 57, of Jeanerette, Louisiana, was arrested by Louisiana State Police on April 4, 2026, and booked into the Iberia Parish jail on charges including driving while impaired, 18 counts of first-degree negligent injuring, careless operation, and open container of alcohol, following a vehicle strike on parade participants at the Louisiana Lao New Year Celebration in New Iberia.
- Landry’s breath test returned a blood alcohol content of 0.137 grams per cent, above Louisiana’s legal driving limit of 0.08 grams per cent, according to Louisiana State Police.
- Acadian Ambulance transported 13 patients to hospital, with 11 taken by ground ambulance and two airlifted by medical helicopter; the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed some injuries were serious.
- The Louisiana Lao New Year Festival cancelled Saturday evening programming including concerts and redirected all security personnel to the scene, with Sunday events limited to religious services pending restoration of security resources.
- Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill both issued public statements expressing support for those affected and for the first responders who attended the scene.
Discover more from Business-News-Today.com
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
